Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Kinship lineage and inheritance norms in Ghana play a significant role in shaping family decisions. Research has shown that kinship lineage and inheritance norms determine kin membership for children by specifying whether they belong to their maternal or paternal family, as well as whether they can inherit properties of their biological father or mother. The notion of kinship membership has shaped parenting and child welfare practices in Ghana, including child maintenance payments and parental neglectful behaviours. This research explored whether kinship-based inheritance norms could influence decisions about selecting a grandmother (maternal vs. paternal grandmother) as a child’s caregiver. We interviewed 31 grandmothers from matrilineal and patrilineal communities in Ghana to understand how their lineage and inheritance norms influenced the kinship placement processes for children who were living under their care. The findings were mixed, with only three grandmothers confirming the role of inheritance norms in their kinship care arrangements. Most of the grandmothers reported that the influence of kinship lineage and inheritance norms has weakened due to the following reasons: (i) the intestate succession law; (ii) discrimination due to inheritance norms; and (iii) the proliferation of interethnic marriages. The findings highlight the child welfare implications of inheritance norms.
Keywords
grandparent kinship care, grandparenting, inheritance norms, kinship lineage, matrilineal system, patrilineal system
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
13229400
Publication Title
Journal of Family Studies
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Arts and Humanities
Funding Information
This research was supported by the Commonwealth through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Bentum, H., Abdullah, A., Banham, V., & Adusei-Asante, K. (2026). Do lineage-based inheritance norms matter in kinship care arrangements? Exploring inheritance paths in grandparent kinship care practice in Ghana. Journal of Family Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2026.2678419