Introduction
Days and months prior to Ghana’s independence on 6thMarch 1958 from the British, witnessed the emergence of many social movements and social movement organizations. The actions of these groups are highly regarded among factors that contributed to the attainment of independence. Many of these movements used different repertoires and tactics which were based on different ideologies and knowledge frames. In the ensuing lines, we hope to examine the cognitive practices among the social movements that emerged in the pre-independent Ghana. These cognitive practices are then analysed with antiracist,
Cognitive practices (praxis) is the journey to discovering social movements as empirical phenomena that exist independently of theories or a journey to deeper meanings into the histories, practices, actions, inactions, politics and knowledge production among social movements (Eyerman and Jamison, 1991). In other words, it is a journey to uncovering the difficult concept of thinking and it role in movements. Cognitive practice makes it possible to see distinctions between the different particular movements in history. The main hypothesis that guides the paper is to understand what it means to read a social movement that emerged prior to Ghana’s independence in a cognitive sense or way?
In this desire, the first part of the paper examines the major themes and ideas in Eyerman and Jamison’s concept of cognitive praxis that are relevant to the study of pre-independent movements in Ghana. The second section analysis four historical phases in pre-independent movements, applying concept discussed by Eyerman and Jamison, as well as other scholars to the activities of these movements. In conclusion, we use a cognitive approach analysis to provide a non-fragmented and impartial approach to the study of pre-independent movements in Ghana by examining social movements as cognitive actors with intellectual activities and human consciousness.