Getting Hold of “Traditional” Clothing across Generations

This paper looks at the various means immigrants and their adult children use in getting hold of “traditional” clothing related to the parents’ country of origin, thus, an intergenerational way of analysing means of acquiring these material objects. The paper focuses on the case of Ghanaians in Germany, and typically on the and wax print clothes being the material objects. It brings out the relevance of these material objects for which they are obtained and answers the research question, ‘what ways do immigrant parents and their children utilise to acquire ‘traditional’ clothing from their home countries?’ The main source of data for this paper was drawn from two distinct research projects conducted by the author: one focusing on Ghanaians residing in Oldenburg, and the other examining the experiences of children of Ghanaian descent living in Germany with the clothing. Interviews served as the primary method of data collection in both studies. In analysing gathered data inductively, the first and second rounds of coding for both studies were undertaken using a software for qualitative data analysis, MAXQDA and further analysis processes for both studies were done manually. Results and analysis show that the two generations employ both same and different sets of means to acquire these objects. The core argument of the paper is that the immigrant family plays a crucial role in making the clothing available to its and other members from across borders. It also brings to the fore a material aspect of intergenerational relations in immigrant families.