Genealogy

16 pages, 551 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Replanting the Birthing Trees: A Call to Transform Intergenerational Trauma into Cycles of Healing and Nurturing

by Catherine Chamberlain, Jacynta Krakouer, Paul Gray, Madeleine Lyon, Shakira Onwuka, Ee Pin Chang, Lesley Nelson, Valda Duffield, Janine Mohamed, Shaydeen Stocker, Yalmay Yunupingu, Sally Maymuru, Bronwyn Rossingh, Fiona Stanley, Danielle Cameron, Marilyn Metta, Tess M. Bright, Renna Gayde, Bridgette Kelly, Tatiana Corrales, Roz Walker, Tamara Lacroix, Helen Milroy, Alison Weatherstone, Kimberley A. Jones, Kristen Smith and Marcia Langton Show full author list Hide full author list

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020052 - 6 May 2025

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing have fostered physical, social, and emotional wellbeing for millenia, forming a foundation of strength and resilience. However, colonisation, systemic violence and discrimination—including the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, [...] Read more.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing have fostered physical, social, and emotional wellbeing for millenia, forming a foundation of strength and resilience. However, colonisation, systemic violence and discrimination—including the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, which continues today—have disrupted this foundation, leading to compounding cycles of intergenerational and complex trauma. The enduring impact of intergenerational and complex trauma is exemplified in increasing proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their families and involved in the child protection and youth justice system—which represents a national crisis. Despite this crisis, the national response remains insufficient. To address these urgent issues, over 200 predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, participated in Gathering the Seeds Symposium, the inaugural meeting for the Replanting the Birthing Trees project held in Perth in April 2023. This meeting marked the beginning of a public dialogue aimed at Closing the Gap by advancing community-led strategies to break cycles of trauma and foster cycles of nurturing, recovery, and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and children across the first 2000 days. We outline critical shortcomings in the current child protection and youth justice systems, and the urgent need for child wellbeing reform. Importantly we highlight recommendations made in submissions in 2023 to two key Australian inquiries—the National Early Years Strategy and the Human Rights Commission inquiry into out of home care and youth justice systems. We argue that structural reforms and culturally safe and skillful care for parents experiencing trauma and violence is a serious gap, and a national priority. The first 2000 days represents a critical window of opportunity to transform cycles of trauma into cycles of healing. It is time to ‘replant the birthing trees’ and ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies and families can have the best possible start to life through comprehensive models of care grounded in recognition of the right to self-determination and culture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self Determination in First Peoples Child Protection)

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6 pages, 171 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families: A Disruption

by Chandra D. L. Waring

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020051 - 2 May 2025

Abstract

“Genealogy is the retrieval of vital and familial data from records of various types, and its ordering into meaningful relationship patterns” (Durie 2017, p [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)

15 pages, 3535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Koorlangka Dreaming Becomes a Reality: A Moombaki Virtual Reality with Connections to Noongar Moort, Boodja, and Karnarn

by Cheryl S. Kickett-Tucker, Jennifer Dodd, Deborah Johnson and Donna Cross

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020050 - 30 Apr 2025

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the developmental process of a culturally grounded Moombaki virtual reality (VR) game. We share how Aboriginal children’s drawings have informed the creation of an interactive learning platform for primary school-aged children attending schools in Wadjuk Boodja. The project [...] Read more.

In this paper, we describe the developmental process of a culturally grounded Moombaki virtual reality (VR) game. We share how Aboriginal children’s drawings have informed the creation of an interactive learning platform for primary school-aged children attending schools in Wadjuk Boodja. The project focused on connecting students to cultural knowledge through immersive storytelling, creative exploration, and collaborative design by using small group yarning circles and game development activities. The aim of the yarning sessions was to identify, explore, and understand the knowledge Aboriginal children had of Aboriginal identity and culture, including protocols, ceremonies, stories, Dreamtime, languages, and traditional practices, and how best to represent these concepts in the cultural learning journey using virtual reality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indigenous Well-Being: Connecting to Country and Culture)

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17 pages, 279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silenced: Palestinian Families in Berlin Navigating Increased Censorship and Surveillance

by Carola Tize

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020049 - 29 Apr 2025

Abstract

The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and Israel’s ensuing assault in Gaza caused immense public upheaval in Berlin, home of Europe’s largest Palestinian diaspora. This article shows how Palestinian families intergenerationally navigate the ensuing losses, protests and school unrests, [...] Read more.

The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and Israel’s ensuing assault in Gaza caused immense public upheaval in Berlin, home of Europe’s largest Palestinian diaspora. This article shows how Palestinian families intergenerationally navigate the ensuing losses, protests and school unrests, which took place not just in response to the devastation in Gaza and the West Bank, but also to Germany’s unwavering support for Israel, while suppressing pro-Palestinian voices. For the families, this intensification of the protracted Israeli–Palestinian conflict deepened a state of chronic crises based on traumas, longstanding insecurity and increasing xenophobia in Germany. Drawing from 11 years of ethnographic research in Berlin–Neukölln, I show how events since 7 October drastically changed the neighborhood’s ethos, forcing a communal front of silence. The silence was a reaction to fears of being misrepresented in the media and threats of deportation and school expulsions. Examining prevailing sociopolitical influences, and what happens within families and between generations, I illustrate how families became more insular in their mourning and grief yet found ways to navigate their political views intergenerationally. My argument scrutinizes sociopolitical processes leading to increased polarization and highlights the importance of schools as safe spaces for identity formation and contemplation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family, Generation and Change in the Context of Crisis)

17 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decolonizing Academic Literacy with ተዋሕዶ/Tewahedo and Multiliteracies in Higher Education

by Oscar Eybers

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020048 - 29 Apr 2025

Abstract

This study proposes Tewahedo epistemology, an Ethiopian knowledge system grounded in the Ge’ez language, as a decolonial framework for re-visualizing academic literacy in higher education. Tewahedo, meaning “oneness” or “unity”, integrates multiliteracies—written, oral, spatial, and visual—within a communal and culturally embedded ethos through [...] Read more.

This study proposes Tewahedo epistemology, an Ethiopian knowledge system grounded in the Ge’ez language, as a decolonial framework for re-visualizing academic literacy in higher education. Tewahedo, meaning “oneness” or “unity”, integrates multiliteracies—written, oral, spatial, and visual—within a communal and culturally embedded ethos through its Tergwame (ትርጓሜ) epistemes and Andǝmta (አንድምታ) traditions. The aim of the article is to challenge the dominance of skills-based literacy models by positioning Tewahedo as a decolonized alternative, emphasizing contextualized knowledge, communal meaning-making, and epistemic belonging. Through a literature review, the study explores Andəmta as a communal and dialogic system of knowledge sharing, rooted in Ge’ez and Amharic hermeneutics. This framework serves as a template for Africanizing and decolonizing contemporary academic literacy development. Findings reveal that Tewahedo epistemology offers ancient yet innovative strategies for fostering interpretive, explanatory, and multimodal competencies in academia. The study argues that adopting a unified Tewahedo-based academic literacy framework can cultivate intellectual agency, decolonize educational spaces, and center Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It calls for educational reforms that promote cultural diversity, legitimize Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and nurture academic belonging for students in multilingual and multicultural contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decolonizing East African Genealogies of Power)

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13 pages, 218 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Homes in Babylon: Jeremiah 29: 4–7 and African Diasporic Activism in the UK

by Nomatter Sande

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020047 - 27 Apr 2025

Abstract

African immigrants in the UK, especially in places such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, contend with institutional racism, xenophobia, and socio-economic marginalisation. This study analyses how first- and second-generation African diaspora communities understand Jeremiah 29: 4–7 to create resilience and belonging. This study [...] Read more.

African immigrants in the UK, especially in places such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, contend with institutional racism, xenophobia, and socio-economic marginalisation. This study analyses how first- and second-generation African diaspora communities understand Jeremiah 29: 4–7 to create resilience and belonging. This study uses desktop research from African diasporic churches and analyses the UK’s Inclusive Britain Strategy (2023) to contend that biblical tales are reinterpreted to confront modern issues, including the Windrush Scandal and racial inequalities in NHS maternal care. The document emphasises the influence of African-led churches in formulating integration plans and promoting policy reforms in the UK. The findings indicate that African diaspora churches reinterpret Jeremiah 29: 4–5 to promote resilience and structural involvement in combating systemic racism and socio-economic disadvantage in the UK. The paper concludes by reinterpreting biblical tales to connect spiritual resilience with systemic activism, promoting hybrid identities, and integrating legislative reforms with community-driven initiatives for equity. The paper recommends the decolonisation of curricula, the enhancement of culturally competent healthcare training, the expansion of church–state collaborations, and the modification of legislation such as the Hostile Environment to foster inclusiveness. This study enhances academic discourse by merging diaspora theology with policy analysis, presenting an innovative framework for the theological examination of migration and elevating African agency within UK socio-political environments through decolonial hermeneutics and hybrid identity paradigms. Full article

21 pages, 301 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Double-Edged Nature of Whiteness for Multiracial People with White Ancestry in the US and UK

by Miri Song

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020046 - 22 Apr 2025

Cited by 1

Abstract

The privileges of Whiteness have been theorized and debated for some decades. Because White privilege has been manifested, historically, in myriad forms, it has been possible to treat the privileges of Whiteness as a given, even when its changing manifestations are acknowledged. The [...] Read more.

The privileges of Whiteness have been theorized and debated for some decades. Because White privilege has been manifested, historically, in myriad forms, it has been possible to treat the privileges of Whiteness as a given, even when its changing manifestations are acknowledged. The continuing growth of multiracial people with White ancestry in the US (and other societies) provides an opportunity for scholars to rethink what we mean by White privilege, and how the workings of White privilege for multiracial people and families may differ from those associated with traditional understandings of Whiteness. One of the important questions posed in this special issue concerns the question of how multiracial people may benefit from the unearned privileges of their genealogical and lived proximity to Whiteness, including a White appearance, White relatives and networks, and White spaces. The key question I address in this review article is this: How is White ancestry and proximity to Whiteness and White people experienced by part-White multiracial people, and how does it differ from traditional forms of White privilege? First, I review various bodies of literature to address this question, and second, I draw upon examples from my research on racially mixed people with White ancestry in both the US and Britain. I argue that although many multiracial people benefit from their White ancestry (in a variety of ways), not enough attention has been given to the double-edged and negative aspects of Whiteness for multiracial people with White ancestry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)

20 pages, 343 KiB

Open AccessEssay

The “Whites” Who Loved Me: How Bridgerton Facilitates Digital Lynching

by Tré Ventour-Griffiths

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020045 - 14 Apr 2025

Abstract

Although the opening series of Bridgerton, a nineteenth-century mixed romance, was celebrated for the casting of Black characters, its use of white–Black inter-marriage is part of UK–US storytelling traditions that treat mixed relationships as worthy of screentime only if they involve a [...] Read more.

Although the opening series of Bridgerton, a nineteenth-century mixed romance, was celebrated for the casting of Black characters, its use of white–Black inter-marriage is part of UK–US storytelling traditions that treat mixed relationships as worthy of screentime only if they involve a white person—what Derrick Bell in 1980 coined as ‘interest convergence’: when Black people are only allowed to progress with the interests of white peoples. Discussing Bridgerton as part of a wider anti-Black brand of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion [EDI], this paper argues that the way its Black characters are used and abused on screen is like a digital lynching. Here, white characters use Black people (i.e., to give them children) while simultaneously keeping them mentally dependent on the white family. While there is not a physical death, the place of Black partners in this so-called alt-London is nothing short of a zombification of Black humans. Additionally, this paper encourages readers to think about how the near-exclusive use of white-centring mixed love as representative of all mixed romance is racist. In other words, even in fantasy, Black men are written out of Blackness, forced to take on the culture of their partner. As this “fantasy” occurs in a world “made white” by colonialism, characters like Simon Bassett and Marina Thompson do not “pass” for white, but their world is one where few “see” colour except when Black folks upset white spaces. Those who choose not to “see” are most in fear of losing power, as novelist Toni Morrison writes in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination “it requires hard work not to see”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)

18 pages, 323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The De/Construction of Identity: The Complexities of Loss and Separation for Mixed-Race Britain

by Rhianna Garrett

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020044 - 9 Apr 2025

Cited by 1

Abstract

In the 2017 Danzy Senna novel, New People, the mixed-race protagonist is described as a white ‘passing’ mixed-race woman who interprets the death of her adopted Black mother as a symbol of the death of her Black identity. The book’s themes parallel ongoing [...] Read more.

In the 2017 Danzy Senna novel, New People, the mixed-race protagonist is described as a white ‘passing’ mixed-race woman who interprets the death of her adopted Black mother as a symbol of the death of her Black identity. The book’s themes parallel ongoing multiracial political debates that explore the extent to which mixed-race people with proximity to whiteness perceive individual agency in identity negotiations. This paper examines how mixed-race people in Britain discuss the experience of loss and separation, thereby demonstrating how loss and separation interact with their sense of self. Employing a content and thematic analysis of 19 stories from the British-based organisation Mixedracefaces, my findings show that the mixed-race respondents saw their racially marginalised family members as critical connections to their own. Thus, a process of identity de/construction was instigated when they experienced a loss that perpetuated and/or challenged monoracism. I argue that we must disrupt oppressive monoracial paradigms of ‘race’ that uphold monoracial whiteness and prevent mixed-race identity agency. Through mixed-race counterstories, we can reveal further generational histories of struggles, resistance, love, and refusal in Britain. I intentionally provide a safe space for the millions of mixed people looking for connection through this experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)

4 pages, 139 KiB

Open AccessBook Review

Book Review: Sisson (2024). Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN: 978-1250286772

by Marianne Novy

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020043 - 9 Apr 2025

Abstract

A larger proportion of women in the United States than in any other developed country—though less than 1 per cent—relinquish infants for adoption [...] Full article

30 pages, 30143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identity Through Iteration: Secondary Imagemaking Practices as Expressions of Cultural Continuity, Change and Interpretation in the Rock Art of Southern Africa

by Andrew Skinner

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020042 - 8 Apr 2025

Abstract

This paper examines secondary rock art practices in southern Africa and how they served as mechanisms for expressing and negotiating identity through iterative engagement with existing artistic traditions. Often dismissed as mere ’graffiti’ or vandalism, these practices of modifying, adding to, or reinterpreting [...] Read more.

This paper examines secondary rock art practices in southern Africa and how they served as mechanisms for expressing and negotiating identity through iterative engagement with existing artistic traditions. Often dismissed as mere ’graffiti’ or vandalism, these practices of modifying, adding to, or reinterpreting historic rock art represent sophisticated forms of engagement with inherited cultural landscapes. Through detailed analysis of mode, placement, and technique, this article demonstrates how secondary artists used existing imagery as both physical and symbolic resources, selectively mobilising earlier artforms to articulate their own positions within changing social worlds. With their technical choices encoding specific attitudes towards inherited traditions, secondary artists appear as one of many audiences—a range which includes contemporary researchers—engaging with these artistic traditions as subjects of common interest, their modifications creating material epistolaries that capture how different communities understood and positioned themselves relative to their own imaginations of the past. By reconceptualising these practices as meaningful interpretive acts rather than degradation, this paper contributes to broader discussions about how African identities have been articulated, contested, and preserved through active engagement with cultural heritage across time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Expressions of Identities in African and African Diaspora Communities through Arts)

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19 pages, 261 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Strategic Exploitation of Conspiracy Theories by Populist Leaders

by Eirikur Bergmann

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020041 - 8 Apr 2025

Abstract

Populist leaders have strategically exploited conspiracy theories as powerful political tools to shape national identities, delegitimise opponents, and consolidate their authority. This paper examines the historical genealogy of conspiratorial populism, tracing its evolution across distinct political and economic crises from the 1970s to [...] Read more.

Populist leaders have strategically exploited conspiracy theories as powerful political tools to shape national identities, delegitimise opponents, and consolidate their authority. This paper examines the historical genealogy of conspiratorial populism, tracing its evolution across distinct political and economic crises from the 1970s to the present. Using a threefold analytical framework—(1) constructing external threats, (2) demonising domestic elites, and (3) positioning populists as the defenders of the “pure people”—the study demonstrates how conspiracy theories have been central to the rise and endurance of nativist populism. By analysing key historical waves—ranging from the economic turmoil of the 1970s, the collapse of communism, the post-9/11 security environment, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2015 refugee crisis, to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing geopolitical conflicts—this paper highlights how conspiratorial narratives have been repeatedly adapted to shifting socio-political contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conspiracy Theories: Genealogies and Political Uses)

21 pages, 300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Mortal Sins to Individual Pride: Transformations of Sexually Motivated Crimes in the Czech Lands from the Middle Ages to the Present

by Martin Slaboch and Petr Kokaisl

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020040 - 4 Apr 2025

Abstract

The legal and social perception of sexually motivated crimes has undergone profound transformations in the Czech lands from the Middle Ages to the present. Acts once considered grave moral transgressions, punishable by death, have been gradually decriminalised or even integrated into the realm [...] Read more.

The legal and social perception of sexually motivated crimes has undergone profound transformations in the Czech lands from the Middle Ages to the present. Acts once considered grave moral transgressions, punishable by death, have been gradually decriminalised or even integrated into the realm of personal identity and cultural self-expression. This article examines the evolving legal frameworks and societal attitudes towards such offences, with a particular focus on their implications for family structures, inheritance rights, and genealogical continuity. By analysing historical judicial records—primarily early modern pitch books—alongside contemporary legislation, we highlight the shifting boundaries between crime, morality, and individual rights. Methodologically, this study combines a historical–legal analysis with comparative criminology to elucidate the changing regulatory mechanisms governing sexual behaviour. The findings illustrate that, while legal norms have progressively moved away from religious morality toward individual freedoms, some taboos persist, reflecting enduring social anxieties. The Czech case serves as a model for broader European trends, offering valuable insights into the interplay between law, social norms, and genealogical structures across different historical periods. Full article

17 pages, 286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cosmopolitan Belonging and Third Space: An Ethnographic Study of the Durham Bubble Tea Society as a Site of Cultural Identity and Transnational Belonging

by Xinwei Zhang

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020039 - 3 Apr 2025

Abstract

This ethnographic study explores the Durham Bubble Tea Society as a site of cultural identity and transnational belonging among university students. Through qualitative data collection, including interviews and questionnaires, this research investigates why students feel the need to establish a society centered around [...] Read more.

This ethnographic study explores the Durham Bubble Tea Society as a site of cultural identity and transnational belonging among university students. Through qualitative data collection, including interviews and questionnaires, this research investigates why students feel the need to establish a society centered around bubble tea, a drink with deep cultural resonance in East Asia but also a globalized product. The study identifies three overarching themes: maintaining original lifestyles amid transnational mobility, cosmopolitan aspirations and the symbolism of bubble tea, and the hybrid space of the Bubble Tea Society. These themes highlight how the society functions as a third space, bridging cultural divides and fostering transcultural connections. The findings contribute to broader theoretical discussions on transnational identity, cosmopolitan belonging, and the role of cultural artifacts in shaping globalized identities. This study underscores the importance of third spaces in fostering inclusivity and understanding, emphasizing the need for critical engagement with cultural symbols to ensure authentic cosmopolitan belonging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Identity, Belonging, and Transnationalism among Migrants in Europe)

23 pages, 336 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Science of Crowds: A Genealogical Analysis of Gustave Le Bon’s Collective Psychology

by Damiano Palano

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020038 - 1 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article examines Gustave Le Bon’s thinking, focusing in particular on the aspects most closely connected to the search for the “laws” of the rise and fall of civilizations. Indeed, throughout his intellectual career, Le Bon cultivated the ambition of providing a credible [...] Read more.

This article examines Gustave Le Bon’s thinking, focusing in particular on the aspects most closely connected to the search for the “laws” of the rise and fall of civilizations. Indeed, throughout his intellectual career, Le Bon cultivated the ambition of providing a credible answer to the problem of French decadence. In other words, he tried to become a kind of “Machiavelli of the age of crowds”. This article argues that this political objective affected Le Bon’s theory and his psychology of crowds. Since he wanted to make his political recipes appear credible to the elites of the Third Republic, he had to modify his theoretical architecture on nonsecondary points. He managed to hide the inconsistencies under the veil of effective rhetoric but, in retrospect, one can easily recognize that, in his theory, he uses three different ideas of the unconscious to explain the behavior of crowds, peoples, and “races”. Full article

22 pages, 377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ethnic Tensions and National (In)Stability in Ethiopia: Analyzing Risks of Ethnic Cleansing

by Amsalu K. Addis

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020037 - 28 Mar 2025

Abstract

This study analyses the ethnic cleansing of the Amhara people, which began during the late TPLF-led EPRDF regime and has continued under Abiy Ahmed’s administration. Despite the severity of these attacks, the Amhara’s plight has been largely ignored. Utilizing primary data from a [...] Read more.

This study analyses the ethnic cleansing of the Amhara people, which began during the late TPLF-led EPRDF regime and has continued under Abiy Ahmed’s administration. Despite the severity of these attacks, the Amhara’s plight has been largely ignored. Utilizing primary data from a survey of 183 Ethiopians and secondary data from various sources, the research takes a mixed-methods approach to explore factors contributing to these ethnic-based identity attacks. Findings indicate rising concerns about security, historical grievances, and regional inequalities, highlighting the urgent need for dialogue and inclusive policies to restore national unity and social cohesion. The findings also signify a decline in national unity, with ethnic identity becoming increasingly pronounced amid growing distrust of the central government. Full article

14 pages, 247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ancestral Parenting: Reclaiming Māori Childrearing Practices in the Wake of Colonial Disruption

by Joni Māramatanga Angeli-Gordon

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020036 - 27 Mar 2025

Abstract

This article investigates the colonial disruption of Māori parenting practices and its enduring effects on Indigenous identity and belonging. It explores how colonisation imposed Western parenting models, disrupting communal caregiving, and severing connections to whakapapa (ancestry) and whenua (land). Grounded in Kaupapa Māori [...] Read more.

This article investigates the colonial disruption of Māori parenting practices and its enduring effects on Indigenous identity and belonging. It explores how colonisation imposed Western parenting models, disrupting communal caregiving, and severing connections to whakapapa (ancestry) and whenua (land). Grounded in Kaupapa Māori methodologies, this research highlights pre-colonial parenting, attachment, and child development practices, demonstrating their alignment with contemporary child development theories and their potential to address intergenerational trauma. Drawing on oral literature, archival records, and studies, this paper proposes a framework for restoring ancestral parenting principles. It emphasises the importance of these practices in rebuilding cultural confidence, enhancing child wellbeing, and strengthening whānau relationships. By integrating ancestral principles into trauma-informed care, attachment-based parenting models, and culturally affirming teaching, the article envisions pathways for healing and resilience in Māori communities, contributing to broader Indigenous resurgence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interrogating the Impact of Colonialism(s) on Indigenous Identity, Being, and Belonging)

14 pages, 1803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On Ethnoerotism in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Mythology, Poetics, and National Genesis in Latin America, Romania, and Ancient Rome

by Gheorghiță Geană

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020035 - 27 Mar 2025

Abstract

The term “ethnoerotism” is advanced for expressing the attraction and union between two ethnic groups placed under the gender symbols—male and female—that contribute, with their specific energies, to the genesis of a new people or nation. By using some concepts as “myth” and [...] Read more.

The term “ethnoerotism” is advanced for expressing the attraction and union between two ethnic groups placed under the gender symbols—male and female—that contribute, with their specific energies, to the genesis of a new people or nation. By using some concepts as “myth” and “ethnosymbolism”, this outlook regarding the origin of nations is exemplified by Natividad Gutiérrez (with the descent of nations in Latin America), Vasile Pârvan (with a poem in prose about the genesis of the Romanian people), and Titus Livius and Plutarch (with the abduction of Sabine women after the founding of ancient Rome). These cases are presented in the framework of a vision about the “diachronic dimension of national identity” (Geană 2016). It also should be mentioned that (at least in the Romanian case) such a vision regarding ethnic genesis and continuity in time is passed on from generation to generation by a vivid folk tradition, as well as, in modern times, by the official system of education. Full article

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15 pages, 221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracing an Archive: The Mackintosh Archive in Familial and Colonial Context

by Onni Gust

Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020034 - 26 Mar 2025

Abstract

This article focuses on the genealogy of the Mackintosh archive, showing how subjects are interpellated through archival networks that span imperial and metropolitan sites, linking people, ideas, knowledge and material resources. By tracing the Mackintosh archive across generations of family members embedded in [...] Read more.

This article focuses on the genealogy of the Mackintosh archive, showing how subjects are interpellated through archival networks that span imperial and metropolitan sites, linking people, ideas, knowledge and material resources. By tracing the Mackintosh archive across generations of family members embedded in British imperial society, it shows how archives call forth an individual—Sir James Mackintosh—as a symbol and a site of the interconnections between the patriarchal family, the male-dominated state and the production of cultural imaginaries of belonging. Tracing this archive, it argues that the ‘society’ to which James Mackintosh belonged is both reflected in, and constituted through, the letters and journals that comprise his archive. In form and content, they provide the material evidence for the interconnectedness of social, familial, intellectual and political lives. They function both as fantasies and representations of belonging to a social network—a community—and a constitutive part of the consolidation of that network. The letters and diaries that comprise the Mackintosh Archive bear witness to the formation of a literary elite at the turn of the nineteenth century and the mobility of that elite around European-imperial space. Thus, the Mackintosh Archive illustrates the point, made by an increasing number of imperial and global historians, that ideas and identities were forged through inter-connections across space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colonial Intimacies: Families and Family Life in the British Empire)

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