Ideologies shape people's belief systems about what constitutes a good life and well-being and how to navigate between considerations of own well-being versus the well-being of others. The present study investigates ideologies in West African Ghana and North European Norway. Comparative longitudinal analyses of ideological shifts reflected in changes in language usage in public discourse (newspapers) in the two nations revealed how currently globalized ideology (consumerism individualism and neo-liberalism) merges with local ideologies in unique ways with regard to the balance between individualist and communal values.