LOVE REALITIES IN AFRICA: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF CULTURAL AND LITERARY PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

This narrative review synthesizes scholarly literature on the conceptualization, expression, and experience of love across African countries. Drawing on 28 peer-reviewed sources from anthropology, psychology, literary studies, philosophy, and public health. The review was conducted in accordance with Cronin, Ryan, and Coughlan's (2008) methodological framework. The review identifies three major themes: (1) Love as an Ethical, Philosophical and Spiritual Worldview; (2) Love as a Cultural Institution; (3) Negotiating Love Through Gender, Power, and Identity. Findings reveal that while love is universally recognized, in Africa it is not a uniform Western import. It is a culturally contextually rich phenomenon shaped by indigenous philosophies, colonial legacies, economic realities, and contemporary transformations. Thus, love's meanings, practices, and implications vary significantly across ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic contexts.