Interdependenz von Individuum und Gesellschaft in Bezug auf Religion und Glaube. Am Beispiel der methodistischen Kirche und der Akan in Ghana. Does religion enhance or undermine work ethic?

This research addresses religiosity from a specific perspective, namely the interdependency of individuals and communities reflected in the role religion plays in enhancing or undermining work ethic. It is positioned in the broader agenda inaugurated by Max Weber and his study of the relationship between Protestantism and Capitalism.
The focus is on a Christian denomination, the Ghanaian Methodist Church (Mount Zion) and more specifically, the Akan ethnic background which plays a central role both, on how the faithful relate to Christianity (and religiosity, therefore) and economic life. This focus is translated by erecting three pillars, namely: (a) work ethic, (b) Akan culture and, (c) Methodism. I attempt to elicit the value of work anchored in Akan culture as well as the practice of Methodism among the faithful in Mount Zion, addressing the notion of belonging in account of how individuals negotiate modern life.
The thesis is structured in three parts covering the methodology and theory, empirical material, and conclusion.
The data available supports the assumption that elements, which in the view of the interviewees define work ethic, are taught within the extended family, and are already internalized in childhood. Although it does not allow to conclude on whether Methodism fosters a work ethic conductive, for example, to an entrepreneurial spirit, it reveals a multitude of opportunities that Mount Zion offers to meet the needs of its faithful.