Class, Power and Ideology in Ghana The Railwaymen of Sekondi [Paperback]

This study analyses the political history and sociology of one particular group - the railway workers of Ghana's third city, Sekondi-Takoradi.First published in 1978, this study analyses the political history and sociology of one particular group - the railway workers of Ghana's third city, Sekondi-Takoradi, who are renowned for their leading role in the Ghanaian nationalist movement and for their sustained opposition to the elitism and authoritarianism of post-Independence governments.First published in 1978, this study analyses the political history and sociology of one particular group - the railway workers of Ghana's third city, Sekondi-Takoradi, who are renowned for their leading role in the Ghanaian nationalist movement and for their sustained opposition to the elitism and authoritarianism of post-Independence governments.Although there is a growing body of literature on the process and potential political consequences of class-formation in Africa, there are virtually no detailed studies of the political attitudes and behaviour of African industrial workers. First published in 1978, this study analyses the political history and sociology of one particular group - the railway workers of Ghana's third city, Sekondi-Takoradi, who are renowned for their leading role in the Ghanaian nationalist movement and for their sustained opposition to the elitism and authoritarianism of post-Independence governments. In seeking to explain the ideological consistency which has informed the political activities of the railway workers, Richard Jeffries shows how, within a close-knit and relatively stable community, a keen sense of their own history has provided the basis for a shared political culture.Part I. A political history of Ghanaian railway unionism: 1. The railway and harbour workers of Sekondi-Takoradi: a sociological profile; 2. The origins and dynamics of Railway Union development; 3. The railway workers in the nationalist movement  the meaning of political commitmelc"