Earning identity and respect through work: A study of children involved in fishing and farming practices in Cape Coast, Ghana

This article explores the meanings children involved in fishing and farming practices in two communities in Cape Coast, Ghana, give to their participation in work and school. Everyday work tasks are considered purposeful by the children, as they describe their own efforts as a reproduction of a traditional intergenerational order with strong moral connotations. More than anything, the moral dimension of participation is highlighted when children talk about how they earn their identity, respect, and competences through work. For their future, however, many children dream about other kinds of jobs.