The author discusses an aspect of family organisation that shows little sign of weakening under contemporary social changes, that may be more characteristic of Western societies than is often supposed, and has important theoretical implications for personality development: the institution of fostering, whereby children are raised, anyhow during the ‘latency’ period, by non-parental kin. Modern Ghanaian literature provides lively descriptions of the lot, or role, of fostered girls (Adwoa in J. de Grafs’s ‘Sons and daughters’, Esi Kakraba in ‘The adventures of Esi Kakraba’ by N.A. Odoi). Their appearance as stock characters in fiction suggests that the role is a familiar one. The A, of this article investigates: How common is fostering in Ghana (specially in Gonja in the Northern Region) and what its functions are References; notes.
