Kinship in Africa

Kin-based networks are essential in African life and have been present since Africa's earliest societies. The role of kinship has loosened over the centuries, but it still plays a vital part. Kinship is the way that Africans created social connections. It could determine one's role in society, inheritance, and even who one marries. Let's take a closer look at kinship in Africa!

African Systems of Kinship

Africans had kin-based connections that were social, not physical. This means that kin were connected through social relationships and didn't have to be directly related by blood. People who practice kinship believe they have a shared ancestor, though that person is untraceable. Kinship determined the bonds between people and created safety nets and a form of deeply intertwined politics. Kinship networks aren't unique to Africa, but they are essential.

Fig. 1: Map of Africa

Benefits of Kinship in Africa

Kinship created a social safety net in place of government social security. If a village suffered a famine, people could move to different areas where their kin lived. A woman's kin would care for her if she was widowed or divorced. This system took care of orphans and the disabled as well.

The kinship system formed a protective circle that valued family. They took care of one another and would receive the same treatment in kind.

Kinship Groups in Africa

There are four types of kinship in Africa: patrilineal, matrilineal, double, and bilateral. These groups were created for various reasons but served the same goals. Patrilineal and matrilineal are more popular than bilateral and double. Let's take a closer look at the more popular ones.

Patrilineal Kinship

This is the most common form of kinship practiced worldwide, including in Africa. People who practice it trace their kin through their fathers. When a woman marries, she moves to her husband's clan and becomes a part of his kin group.

Inheritance favors male descendants because society considers them the ones in charge. In some communities, like the Yoruba, women can inherit. The number of available resources determines a woman's inheritance. If there is little to inherit, the male descendant will receive the majority, if not all, of the inheritance.

Fig. 2: When a couple married, the wife would move to her husband's village

A significant relationship in patrilineal kinship clans is the avunculate. This is the bond between a mother's brother and her son. The uncle, considered the "male mother", is required to care for his nephew. Nephews might live with their uncles, tease them, or even inherit unique cattle from them.

When communities engaged in internal warfare, they needed the men close to home. They couldn't leave to join other villages, so patrilineal kinship evolved. When communities practiced external warfare, patrilineal kinship developed so that men could work the farms and tend the cattle.¹

Matrilineal Kinship

Matrilineal kinship is far less common than patrilineal kinship. People in these societies trace their kinship through their mothers. The forests on the coast of Western Africa practice this dynamic.

The practice of matrilineal kinship developed in areas that partook in external warfare. The men left to go to war against other clans. They were also hunter-gatherers, meaning the men left to collect resources. The communities needed women to work the farms and tend the cattle, so having them remain in groups together was practical.

This dynamic created a situation where it is difficult for men to choose between their sisters' or wives' children. Women had some power in this dynamic because they could negotiate better conditions for their children. Women focused on their children because they didn't have to worry about pleasing their in-laws.¹

^{Matrilineal kinship is becoming less popular in Africa. Inheritance passes to the daughters, and this dynamic is often contested from the male point of view and in terms of gaining power for men.}

Marriage and Kinship in Africa

People in Africa married with the intent of having children, as this was thought of as someone's purpose in the world. Someone's place within the clan was determined upon marriage. Marriage between cousins, preferably two brothers' children, was frequent and desirable. Who one could marry was determined by their kin group.

Fig. 3: The goal of marriage was to have children

In a patrilineal society, a man had the right to marry his cousin. She, of course, could refuse but would need his permission if she wanted to marry someone else. In a matrilineal system, a man must provide a bride price to his intended's family. This could be in the form of cattle, money, or labor. He would never fully pay the bride price as a reminder that he was forever indebted to his wife's family.

A man could practice polygamy, or polygyny, if he could afford multiple wives. This was a widespread practice that became less popular after the introduction of Christianity into Africa. The mother determined family unity. A mother and her children would live in one home, while the husband's other wives lived in separate houses with their children.

Importance of kinship in Africa

Kinship has played an essential role in Africa. The system determines people's roles within their worlds: who they would marry, what they would inherit, and what their job would be. When someone was ill, orphaned, or disabled, their kin looked after them. While kin groups couldn't trace their common ancestor, they believed they were related.

The most popular kin groups were patrilineal and matrilineal. These systems shaped their societies. Social Networks developed through kinship. People had a sense of belonging and security. They wanted their kin to do well. Kin groups grew as people connected. Political alliances were created through both parties declaring that they were kin.

This created a ripe environment for kingdoms to form. People felt connected to one another. If a kin group did well, so did the individuals within it.

Kinship and Post-Classical Africa

During the Post-Classical period (600-1450), Africa experienced many outside influences. Christianity had spread to Africa around the 1^st and 2^nd centuries and had taken root in parts of North Africa. However, by the start of the Post-Classical era, Christian influences on African societies began to wane with the introduction of Islam.

In 661, the Umayyad Caliphate was established in the Middle East and began conquering areas of North Africa. With the introduction of Arabian trade, Berber merchants in the 8^th century began to convert to Islam. They spread the faith throughout Africa via the Saharan trade routes.

Throughout the post-Classical period, various African empires began to adopt Islam as their faith. With Islam came new methods of governance and opportunities for trade. Despite these influences, the tradition of kinship survived, especially in rural areas that rejected the faith of the new traders. Many kingdoms adopted or tolerated Islam for trade benefits but combined the faith with their traditions. This was common with most outside influences due to the strength of African traditions.

The tradition of kinship is still upheld in Africa, particularly at an individual and social level. The strong social ties and obligations accompanying kinship continue to affect African politics today.