AN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, LIVEWAYS, AND HERITAGE STUDIES

Intergenerational trauma is a family and social process through which the effects of overwhelming experiences may persist beyond the generation directly exposed to them. This article examines that process through a sociological and religious lens, with particular attention to family relationships, parenting, cultural expectations, social support, and religious coping. It uses an integrative analysis of the literature and applies Family Systems Theory alongside Trauma-Informed Care to connect mechanisms of transmission with possible points of intervention. The review shows that intergenerational trauma is not transmitted through a single pathway; rather, it is reproduced through interacting relational, behavioural, socioeconomic, cultural and spiritual processes. It also demonstrates that religion can operate in two directions: faith communities and practices may provide meaning, support and resilience, while rigid expectations may intensify guilt, shame or family pressure. The article's principal contribution is to bring these dimensions into a single sociological and religious framework and to distinguish the pathways of trauma transmission from the institutional responses required to interrupt them. It argues that family-centred interventions are most effective when they are culturally informed, trauma-sensitive and, where appropriate, attentive to the family's religious world. The analysis has implications for social work, faith communities and public policy concerned with family well-being.

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