“Dead white man’s clothes” : The influence of second hand import on young Ghanaians’ consuming patterns

Abstract: Generally, not many in the Global North are aware of the complexity behind the second hand clothing trade and donations. Today, Ghana has become one of the biggest markets for imported second hand clothing. With this, the Akan saying “Obroni Wawu” has come, and translates into “Dead White Man’s Clothes”. The expression is formed based on the idea that someone must have died in order to give up such an amount of clothing. While the consumption pattern has changed in the Global North, in terms of overconsumption and a throwaway mentality, it has simultaneously changed among African youth as a result of increased consumption and exposure to Western culture. This has led to a concern among non-profit organisations that second hand imports have influenced Ghanaian youths' perception of the value clothing has. Thus, this thesis aims to take a social and cultural perspective to study the influence of the import of second hand clothing on young Ghanaians' perceived value of clothing. The review of literature on the field of research about Ghana, second hand trade in Africa and second hand in general defined a substantial gap which this thesis aims to fill. Through a field study conducted over eight weeks in Accra, Ghana, this thesis follows an exploratory approach of anthropological nature. 21 in-depth interviews combined with participant observations generated the final results which are analysed based on theoretical perspectives from postcolonialism and the relation to clothes in terms of identity, attachment and usage. Findings of the study suggest that the influence on young Ghanaians' perceived value of clothing reaches beyond second hand import, but is rather a complex nature of historical values and a current adoption of Western culture and consumption. Findings further suggest an indirect adaptation of fast fashion consumer goods, influenced by Western culture and the high presence of such goods among second hand imports. This thesis is believed to contribute to an insufficiently researched area, giving it originality and value in the research field and social, cultural and political implications.