Genealogical Practices and Family Narratives
Summary
Genealogical practices encompass the range of methods by which individuals and communities reconstruct familial lineage, encompassing archival research, oral history, material culture and, increasingly, genetic data. These practices operate at the intersection of history, anthropology and social sciences, serving not only to chart ancestral connections but also to shape collective identity and memory. Family narratives emerge from the stories, silences and artefacts transmitted across generations, reflecting cultural norms, power relations and moral values. Recent developments have drawn attention to the emotional labour involved in uncovering difficult or hidden pasts, the role of everyday objects in enacting kinship and the disruptive potential of DNA testing in reconfiguring long-held familial assumptions. Across diverse contexts—from settler communities re-examining colonial legacies to hobbyists grappling with distressing revelations—scholars emphasise that genealogical inquiry is both a technical endeavour and a deeply affective one, with outcomes that inform personal identity, social belonging and broader debates on heritage and reparative justice.
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Genealogical Practices and Family Narratives publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genealogical practices and family narratives across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Genealogical practice: systematic methods for tracing family lineage through documentary, oral and material sources.
Genetic genealogy: use of DNA sequencing and matching algorithms to infer biological relationships and ancestral origins.
Autoethnography: a qualitative research method in which the scholar’s personal experience serves as primary data for cultural analysis.
Decolonisation: critical examination and redress of colonial power structures within historical narratives and cultural memory.
References
- Family History Research and Distressing Emotions. Genealogy (2023).
- Not-Talking/Not-Knowing: Autoethnography and Settler Family Histories in Aotearoa New Zealand. Genealogy (2022).
- “Things Are Coming Out That Are Questionable, We Never Knew About”: DNA and the New Family History. Journal of Family History (2020).
- Material Affinities: ‘Doing’ Family through the Practices of Passing On. Sociology (2018).
- What Is Genealogy? Philosophy, Education, Motivations and Future Prospects. Genealogy (2017).
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