Rise of Rasta Hairstyle Culture in Ghana

The study examined the rise of rasta hairstyles among the youth in Ghana despite the stigma about rasta hairstyle. This is because the upsurge and diffusion of rasta hairstyle culture among the youth in the urban centres and villages and its diffusion beyond the metropolitan centres in Ghana needed further investigation to establish the formal structures for rasta hair promotion. In examining the experiences that come with being a Rasta in Ghana, descriptive case study research design situated in the qualitative research paradigm was used for the study while semi-structured interview and focus group discussion constituted the data collection instruments. Narrative inquiry and descriptive analyses were used as method of data analysis. The study zoned Ghana into three: southern, northern and middle belt, within which a total of 18 respondents were sampled using simple random and expert sampling techniques. Aesthetic sensation and clout of the rasta hairstyle, its association as marker of African identity, personal beliefs of wearers about the hairstyles (including personal philosophy), and fashion lifestyle pleasures were the motivational and compelling reasons that accounted for the rise in the hairstyle amongst the youth in urban centres and villages in Ghana. These reasons caused the high self-esteemed youthful male to a large extent, relegate the negative consequences of wearing the rasta hairstyle to the background. It recommended that rasta hair culture needs to be accommodated and destigmatised for Ghanaian cultural reorientation. Further research into the relationship between rasta hair culture and crime would be helpful to establish whether or not the wearing of rasta hairstyle is a reliable indicator of crime susceptibility.