AbstractGhanaian culture revolves around religion hence it is not surprising that Ghanaians have established sects upon resettlement in the United States of America. However, the sects have changed the social organization of the adherents. Instead of mainstream institutions, adherents depend on the spiritual leaders of their sect in dealing with immigration, unemployment, illness and other social problems. The study contends that there are relevant characteristics of some Ghanaians that make it likely that they would be drawn to the sects. Some adherents are drawn to the sects as a result of profound post-migration insecurities including the threat of deportation and limited entitlements such as the denial of employment and educational rights. To such adherents the sects are an important avenue for resolving their post-migration insecurities. Results of this research also suggest that some Ghanaians are drawn to the sects by religious aspirations including the unique theology of the sect. Overall, the sects are not just a transfer of an important segment of indigenous life in Ghana to the United States of America, they also represent a miniature portrait of the changing nature of religion in the United States.
Hierarchy Without a Head: Observations on Changes in the Social Organization of Some Afroamerican Religions in the United States, 1959-1999 With Special Reference to Santeria
