Journal Description
Genealogy
Genealogy
is an international, scholarly, peer-reviewed, open access journal devoted to the analysis of genealogical narratives (with applications for family, race/ethnic, gender, migration and science studies) and scholarship that uses genealogical theory and methodologies to examine historical processes. The journal is published quarterly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), and many other databases.
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 29.9 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 4.9 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2024).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
0.8 (2023)
Latest Articles
First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020062 - 9 Jun 2025
Abstract
Interactions between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians have long been shaped by notions of Western authority and First Nations inferiority, both culturally and biologically. From invasion to the present day, forced removals and intergenerational trauma have deeply affected First Nations Australians, particularly through
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Interactions between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians have long been shaped by notions of Western authority and First Nations inferiority, both culturally and biologically. From invasion to the present day, forced removals and intergenerational trauma have deeply affected First Nations Australians, particularly through the operations of interacting colonial systems, including child removals and placements. Throughout the 20th century, systematic child removals led to the Stolen Generations, a tragic example of power imbalances, paternalism, and Western ideals, perpetuating trauma across generations. This article examines the context of First Nations removals by the state under the lies of benevolence, exposing the evolution of the colonial system and the systematic dislocation of culture and identity. It highlights the social, legal, and political factors that enabled removal practices and their enduring consequences, including the legacy of forced child separations and cultural erasure. This article argues that policies of absorption and assimilation served to further isolate children from their families, communities, and kinship networks. In doing so, it contends that the systematic disruption of First Nations communities is part of an ongoing process of subjugation, continuing the colonial agenda of cultural and familial disintegration.
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(This article belongs to the Section Genealogical Communities: Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial, and Multi-National Genealogies)
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Open AccessArticle
Tracing Roots: Origin and Migration of the Western Nsit Clan in the Niger Delta of Nigeria
by
Uwomano Benjamin Okpevra and Thomas Effiong Thomas
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020061 - 4 Jun 2025
Abstract
This study traces the origin and migration of the Nsit Clan of the Ibibio ethnic nationality, focusing on its distinct characteristics. The origin and migration of the Western Nsit Clan in the Niger Delta of Nigeria constitute a complex historical narrative shaped by
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This study traces the origin and migration of the Nsit Clan of the Ibibio ethnic nationality, focusing on its distinct characteristics. The origin and migration of the Western Nsit Clan in the Niger Delta of Nigeria constitute a complex historical narrative shaped by a confluence of cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Rooted in pre-colonial times, this study delves into the clan’s ancestral origins, tracing the intricate patterns of migration that have defined its historical trajectory. Drawing from a diverse range of primary sources, including oral traditions, and anthropological findings, this research illuminates the cultural dynamics that propelled the clan’s movement across the Niger Delta region. This study also explores the impact of external influences, such as trade and colonialism, on the migration patterns and socio-political organization of the Western Nsit Clan. By unraveling the historical tapestry of this community, this research contributes valuable insights into the broader understanding of the Niger Delta’s rich and multifaceted history. A significant emphasis is placed on the migration patterns of the Western Nsit Clan, analyzing the push and pull factors that compelled movements within the Niger Delta region. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to a deeper comprehension of the Western Nsit Clan’s historical trajectory, offering valuable insights into the complexities of migration patterns, cultural evolution, and resilience within the context of the Niger Delta’s diverse tapestry.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Genealogical Communities: Community History, Myths, Cultures)
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Language Abuse: The Politicization and Categorization of People on the Move Through Language and Narrative
by
Maurizio Ambrosini, Senyo Dotsey, Audrey Lumley-Sapanski and Holly Oberle
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020060 - 31 May 2025
Abstract
Over the last three decades, the once-distinct terms ‘asylum’ and ‘immigration’ have become conceptually intertwined. This process is almost complete in Europe, where politicians, media, the public, and even academia often speak of these concepts interchangeably. Blurring these concepts has implications for migratory
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Over the last three decades, the once-distinct terms ‘asylum’ and ‘immigration’ have become conceptually intertwined. This process is almost complete in Europe, where politicians, media, the public, and even academia often speak of these concepts interchangeably. Blurring these concepts has implications for migratory people: it removes legal rights borne by the state and diminishes the claims of humanitarian protection seekers within these movements. We have simultaneously witnessed the recategorization and reinterpretation of the statuses of vulnerable populations on the move, using geolegality to exclude them from otherwise legally entitled protections. We speak to the problems with narrowing the eligibility for protection through geolegality while simultaneously contributing to conceptual indistinction between people that discredits their identities as rights bearers. This short essay reflects on the ethical dilemmas of language use by researchers in shaping and contributing to this situation.
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Open AccessArticle
Indigenous Abolition and the Third Space of Indian Child Welfare
by
Theresa Ysabel Rocha Beardall
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020059 - 31 May 2025
Abstract
This article introduces the Third Space of Indian child welfare to theorize how Indigenous nations simultaneously engage and disrupt settler legal systems while building sovereign, care-based alternatives. Drawing from legal analysis, Indigenous political thought, and sociohistorical synthesis, I trace the historical continuity from
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This article introduces the Third Space of Indian child welfare to theorize how Indigenous nations simultaneously engage and disrupt settler legal systems while building sovereign, care-based alternatives. Drawing from legal analysis, Indigenous political thought, and sociohistorical synthesis, I trace the historical continuity from boarding schools to today’s foster care removals, showing how child welfare operates as a colonial apparatus of family separation. In response, Native nations enact governance through three interrelated strategies: strategic legal engagement, kinship-based care, and tribally controlled family collectives. Building on Bruyneel’s theory of third space sovereignty, Simpson’s nested sovereignty, and Lightfoot’s global Indigenous rights framework, I conceptualize the Third Space as a dynamic field of Indigenous governance that transcends binary settler logics. These practices constitute sovereign abolitionist praxis. They reclaim kinship, resist carceral systems, and build collective futures beyond settler rule. Thus, rather than treating the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as a federal safeguard, I argue that tribes have repurposed ICWA as a legal and political vehicle for relational governance. This reframing challenges dominant crisis-based narratives and positions Indigenous child welfare as the center of a “global Indigenous politics of care” with implications for theories of sovereignty, family, and abolitionist futures across disciplines, geographies, and social groups. The article concludes by reflecting on the broader implications of the Third Space for other Indigenous and minoritized communities navigating state control and asserting self-determined care.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self Determination in First Peoples Child Protection)
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Thousands of Famous People Are Closely Related to One Another
by
Karl Vachuska and Thomas J. Kelly
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020058 - 29 May 2025
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Wealth and power have been recognized as being unequally concentrated within specific families. While research on social mobility has been limited to defined outcomes (e.g., occupation, income, and education) in specific contexts, the rise of big data has spurred broader network analysis. Using
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Wealth and power have been recognized as being unequally concentrated within specific families. While research on social mobility has been limited to defined outcomes (e.g., occupation, income, and education) in specific contexts, the rise of big data has spurred broader network analysis. Using a comprehensive genealogical database of 30 million individuals in the Western Hemisphere, we analyzed how familial background, gender, and occupational domains influence the probability of individuals attaining “fame” in their lifetime. Individuals with famous parents are more likely to become famous themselves, especially males. Unexpectedly, we identified more than 10,000 famous individuals who are closely related, comprising 25.6% of all famous individuals in the entire dataset. While the underlying sample may have representativeness issues, the findings suggest that famous individuals are not isolated figures but often part of broader interconnected family networks.
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Analysis of the Multinational Policies of the Han-Zhao State in Ancient China
by
Congrong Xiao, Yan Zhang and Dongkwon Seong
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020057 - 26 May 2025
Abstract
The Han-Zhao state (also known as “Former Zhao”, 304–329 AD), founded by Liú Yuán, the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, is one of the earliest examples of a dual monarchy in global history. Its structure represents not only the fusion of the
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The Han-Zhao state (also known as “Former Zhao”, 304–329 AD), founded by Liú Yuán, the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, is one of the earliest examples of a dual monarchy in global history. Its structure represents not only the fusion of the cultures of the Sinicized Xiongnu rulers and the Han Chinese of the Central Plains, but also the joint governance of a minority regime and the Han Chinese civilization. As an early dual monarchy, the Han-Zhao state implemented a political, military, and cultural system that maintained the coexistence of the Xiongnu traditions and Han Chinese dominance, thereby making it a “dual monarchy”. Thus, while Han-Zhao preserved the traditional governance model of the Xiongnu, it was deeply influenced by Han Chinese rituals and principles of governance. This study analyzes the ethnic and cultural institutions of the Han-Zhao state to explore its uniqueness as a dual monarchy and its influence on the integration of multi-ethnic regimes in later periods. It seeks to enrich the global understanding of the concept of dual monarchy and provide a new perspective on ethnic integration and cultural governance in Chinese history.
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(This article belongs to the Section Genealogical Communities: Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial, and Multi-National Genealogies)
Open AccessArticle
Multifaceted Crises and Family Disintegration in the Far North of Cameroon
by
Gustave Gaye, Carola Tize and Lidewyde Berckmoes
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020056 - 20 May 2025
Abstract
This study analyzes displaced families’ disintegration amidst multifaceted crises in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The focus is on displaced families in four divisions where host communities along the border of Nigeria have fled Boko Haram, due to sociopolitical instability and environmental
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This study analyzes displaced families’ disintegration amidst multifaceted crises in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The focus is on displaced families in four divisions where host communities along the border of Nigeria have fled Boko Haram, due to sociopolitical instability and environmental degradation. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses show how insecurity and precarity have resulted in disintegrating, dispersing and sometimes recomposing the traditional structure of the family institution by disrupting marriage traditions, gender roles and intergenerational relations. Such shifts in the family occurred as a result of the challenging contexts in their hometowns, during flight and after settling in the host towns. The findings demonstrate the effects of the multifaceted crises, which created intergenerational, but also inter- and intra-community rifts that are challenging to repair amidst mass distrust and continued insecurity. This study contributes especially to understanding how these crises affect family cohesion and intergenerational relations as part of dynamics of great social change.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family, Generation and Change in the Context of Crisis)
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The Hell of the Subcontract: Syrian Refugees in Istanbul’s Clothing Industry
by
Basem Mahmud and Rosa M. Soriano-Miras
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020055 - 20 May 2025
Abstract
This article investigates the employment conditions of Syrian refugee workers in the clothing industry in Istanbul, as well as its consequences on their socio-emotional well-being and life plans. 62 interviews in the form of life stories were conducted with these workers from workspaces
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This article investigates the employment conditions of Syrian refugee workers in the clothing industry in Istanbul, as well as its consequences on their socio-emotional well-being and life plans. 62 interviews in the form of life stories were conducted with these workers from workspaces of varying sizes. The research identifies ambiguity, hyper-precarity, institutional violence, and segregation (refugees mostly work in small workshops) as the main concepts for understanding these conditions. The dimensions of socio-emotional well-being are dominated by depression and loss of control over life. However, the personal (self) dimension (proud, optimistic, and staying positive with oneself) remains high. As a result, migration outside of Turkey emerges as as ongoing hope in the pursuit of stability and control over the future.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forced Migration: New Trajectories, Challenges and Best Practices)
Open AccessArticle
Who Does What? The Distribution of Housework and Childcare in Portuguese Families
by
Mariana Pinho, Inês Lourenço and Marisa Lousada
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020054 - 20 May 2025
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An increasing number of studies have sought to explore the gender gap in the distribution of family responsibilities. While men and women have become more similar in their egalitarian views and involvement toward paid work and family responsibilities, mothers continue to bear the
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An increasing number of studies have sought to explore the gender gap in the distribution of family responsibilities. While men and women have become more similar in their egalitarian views and involvement toward paid work and family responsibilities, mothers continue to bear the brunt of housework and caregiving responsibilities. The present study explored the allocation of family work among Portuguese couples and the social–psychological characteristics associated with it. A sample of 153 parents with young children completed questionnaires. The results revealed that parents’ gender ideologies and biological essentialism were related and predicted their involvement in childcare and housework. Overall, the findings shed light on the mechanisms that shape the division of childcare and housework and suggest pathways for achieving greater gender equality within the home.
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War Is Fearful: The Recollection of War Memories Through Personal Naming Practices in Southeastern Nigeria
by
Eyo Mensah, Ngozika Obi-Ani and Utomobong Nsebot
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020053 - 13 May 2025
Abstract
The Nigeria–Biafra war (1967–1970) has been regarded as the first major civil war in post-colonial Africa, with an attendant and colossal loss of lives, property, and infrastructure. There are many representations of memories of the war in fiction, non-fiction, symbols, memoires, and post-war
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The Nigeria–Biafra war (1967–1970) has been regarded as the first major civil war in post-colonial Africa, with an attendant and colossal loss of lives, property, and infrastructure. There are many representations of memories of the war in fiction, non-fiction, symbols, memoires, and post-war relics (usually found in museums) but the role of personal naming practices has been largely neglected in the literature and social narratives of the war history. This article, therefore, aims to investigate the performance of personal names as significant memorial sites that convey trajectories of post-traumatic experiences of the war and the desire for healing and reconciliation. The study adopts the theoretical lens of the socio-onomastic analytic framework, which explores the social contexts in which names are given and used. Drawing on ethnographic data sourced mainly from personal histories and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants in Nsukka (Enugu State) and Owerri (Imo State) in southeastern Nigeria, we argue that personal naming practices form essential elements of the war memory, which positively impact self-recovery and meaningful connection with the people. The study concludes that war-related names are based on name-givers’ lived experiences and life-altering situations that greeted the war and are useful in sharing and preserving collective memory of the war.
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Replanting the Birthing Trees: A Call to Transform Intergenerational Trauma into Cycles of Healing and Nurturing
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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 Langtonadd
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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,
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self Determination in First Peoples Child Protection)
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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 [...]
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)
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
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indigenous Well-Being: Connecting to Country and Culture)
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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,
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family, Generation and Change in the Context of Crisis)
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
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decolonizing East African Genealogies of Power)
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)
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
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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”.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)
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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
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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.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)
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 [...]
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