Beyond Biological Family Ties: Unpacking the Complexities of African Family Systems

Beyond Biological Family Ties: Unpacking the Complexities of African Family Systems

John Ringson & Nomatter Sande

Issue: Vol. 6 No.12 Article 25 pp. 3232 – 3245
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561225 | Published online 27th November, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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ABSTRACT

The traditional notion of family in Africa has mainly been influenced by Western ideologies, which emphasise biological ties and nuclear family structures. However, African family systems are complex and diverse, encompassing a wide range of relationships and kinship ties that extend beyond biological family ties. This qualitative desktop and critical discourse analysis study unpacked the complexities of African family systems, exploring how they are constructed, negotiated, and represented in various socio-cultural contexts. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of existing literature and cultural texts, this study examined how historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors shape African family systems. The study reveals that a complex web of relationships, including extended family ties, communal living arrangements, and spiritual kinship bonds, characterises African family systems. These relationships are often negotiated and constructed through cultural practices, traditions, and social norms. The study’s findings challenge the dominant Western notion of family and highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of African family systems. The study recommends that policymakers, practitioners, and scholars adopt a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to learning and supporting African family systems, one that recognises and values the diversity and complexity of these systems.

Keywords: African Family Systems, Critical Discourse Analysis, Kinship Ties, Cultural Practices, Socio-Cultural Contexts.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

John Ringson (PhD) is a Research Professor at North-West University, Faculty of Humanities in the Population and Health Research Entity. His research interests focus on public governance, African politics, philanthrocapitalism, child rights governance, migration, ethical leadership, digital transformation, service delivery, human capital development, and gender & sustainable development. Email: jringson@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2422-4319

Nomatter Sande (PhD) is a Research Fellow at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion (RITR), South Africa. His interests include religion, migration, transnationalism, disability studies, and gender. E-mail: drnsande@yahoo.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4177-8391

TO CITE ARTICLE

Ringson, John, and Nomatter Sande. “Beyond Biological Family Ties: Unpacking the Complexities of African Family Systems.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 12 (2025): 3232 – 3245, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561225.