Genealogies, Family Secrets, and a Curious Ethnologist in West Africa

About this Event

Family trees, family secrets, and a curious ethnologist in West Africa. Almost four decades ago, Prof. Dr. Carola Lentz: was welcomed into a large Ghanaian family. As in many African families, educational paths and professional careers, places of residence, and lifestyles have diverged greatly over time.  This makes the memory of common ancestors and regular visits to the village of origin even more important for the cohesion of the extended family. However, the younger, educated generation has different expectations of a good family history than their rural relatives. The remembered family past is therefore controversial, and some things are marked as “secrets” by some. Memory practices and their media are also new. Memorial services are replacing ancestral sacrifices. Drawn family trees, ancestral tables, and photo albums supplement oral narratives. The lecture explores these changes and the conflicts that accompany them. Family history, it concludes, can not only unite but also divide.