BENIN
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa, bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. The official capital is Porto-Novo, although the government seat and largest city is Cotonou. As of 2023-2025 estimates, its population is roughly 14 million people.
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Benin is a multilingual, multiethnic society. French is the official language, but dozens of indigenous languages are spoken too — including Fon, Yoruba, Bariba, and Fulfulde. Ethnic groups include the Fon (largest), Adja, Yoruba, Bariba, Fulani, and several others.
FAMILY
This category includes anything related to a client’s home life, relationships with parents, siblings, or extended family, and the roles they play within their household. It also covers family expectations, communication patterns, cultural values, responsibilities, conflicts, and any major events or changes happening at home. The goal is to understand how the client’s family environment shapes their daily stress, emotional wellbeing, and behavior.
Investigates how social and family networks influence decisions within households — including family planning, roles, gender norms, and social expectations tied to families.
Examines adolescent behavior in context of family and social norms — giving insight into how upbringing, family expectations, and social environment affect youth behavior and family dynamics.
A peer-reviewed journal article exploring traditional and modern child-fostering practices and kinship structure in Benin. This article directly addresses family structure, caregiving, foster systems, and how households are organized in Benin.
“Benin Republic Culture and Traditions” page. It outlines typical family roles, child-rearing expectations, kinship networks, and everyday family life in Benin. It gives a broad, accessible overview of how family life, social norms, and child upbringing often function in Beninese society
COMMUNITY
This category explores how people in Benin live together beyond the nuclear family — their neighborhoods, friendships, communal networks, social expectations, village or urban community structures, and how these influence daily life, social support, identity, and belonging. It covers social norms, community rituals, mutual aid, socialization practices, and how daily life is shaped by community ties.
Describes social networks, community livelihoods, mutual support systems, and how people organize within village communities
Describes life in rural communities, community challenges, and social structure — helpful for understanding environment and context for many immigrants’ upbringing.
Provides general cultural and social norms — communal living, respect, social behavior inside neighborhoods/communities, which helps counselors understand cultural socialization.
This video offers a vivid look into daily life in Ganvié, the largest floating village in Africa — located in southern Benin on Lake Nokoué. It shows how residents live in wooden stilt-houses on water, use canoes instead of roads, and rely on fishing and fish farming for survival. You’ll see community life, family routines, homes built on stilts, and how people navigate everyday tasks — giving a real sense of how upbringing and environment shape worldview and social behavior for those from rural or water-based backgrounds.
RELIGION
This category explores the beliefs, spiritual practices, and religious values that shape a client’s worldview. In many African communities, religion is deeply connected to daily life, moral expectations, community belonging, and decision-making. By understanding the client’s religious background—whether traditional beliefs, Christianity, Islam, or blended practices—counselors can better interpret their coping styles, sources of support, stress responses, and the meaning they attach to personal struggles.
This paper examines traditional religious practices (especially Vodoun) in Benin, their connection to sacred forests, and how religious beliefs influence social and community structure.
This article discusses spiritual and cultural practices among Yoruba people (many of whom also live in parts of Benin), highlighting how psycho-spiritual beliefs shape worldviews, healing practices, and coping mechanisms.
Gives a clear overview of religious demographics in Benin (Christianity, Islam, traditional religions), describes how beliefs are often blended, and how traditional faith (like Vodoun) remains part of modern life.
This documentary explores traditional Vodoun practices in Benin, showing how spirituality is woven into everyday life, community rituals, and cultural identity. It highlights the role of priests, shrines, ceremonies, and ancestral beliefs, giving counselors a visual understanding of how religion shapes values, decision-making, and coping for many Beninese families.