location

Papua New Guinea

Also known as: PNG

Facts (21)

Sources

Cross-cultural similarities and variations in parent-child value ... nature.com Nature Nov 26, 2025 20 facts

claimParticipants in Papua New Guinea view cultural identity and native language as inseparable, a perspective attributed to the country's rich oral tradition.

quoteA parent from Papua New Guinea stated, 'Don’t get bullied or not shy in class,' reflecting a parental emphasis on assertiveness.

claimParticipants in Papua New Guinea, Namibia, and Uzbekistan cited ethical reasoning and responsibility as key values focusing on personal action.

claimThe conceptualization of the value of kindness varies across countries: it is linked to generosity in Kazakhstan, love and good character in Papua New Guinea, and helping others in Uzbekistan.

claimIn Papua New Guinea, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) report that children are taught to eat in an organized manner, such as sitting in a straight line, to avoid making a mess.

quoteA parent from Papua New Guinea stated: "You [a child] have to be responsible for what you are given – take care of it."

quoteA parent from Papua New Guinea expressed that respect is paramount, stating, 'whether or not right or wrong, this person is talking. That is what I am teaching my kids.'

measurementA mixed-methods study explored cross-cultural similarities and variations in values that parents aspire to instill in children across 12 low- and middle-income countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, and Uzbekistan.

accountA facilitator in Papua New Guinea noted that contemporary parents are unable to sing vernacular songs due to the shift toward Pidgin, making the role of grandparents and the community essential in preserving culture for children.

quoteA parent in Papua New Guinea described the instrumental value of faith: "The best way…[of] bringing up my children [is] showing them how to grow up in a Christian way. So, they can have respect for elderly people."

claimThe transition to a shared language, such as Tok Pisin or Pidgin, in Papua New Guinea expands the boundaries for a shared cultural identity and creates opportunities for greater community cohesion.

claimParticipants in Papua New Guinea (PNG) emphasize that manners, such as saying "thank you," "yes," and "please," are essential components of respecting others.

claimParticipants in Papua New Guinea report that a decrease in the use of native language songs and stories negatively impacts the preservation of cultural history and puts cultural identity at risk.

claimParticipants across different countries conceptualize respect in various ways: respect for others (Cameroon, Malaysia, Namibia, PNG), respect for elders (all 12 countries), and dining etiquette (Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, PNG, Uzbekistan).

claimThe study conducted workshops with parents, child caregivers, and subject matter experts from Afghanistan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, and Uzbekistan.

claimParticipants in Malaysia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) identified financial acumen as a key value to instill in children to prepare them for adulthood, which they practice by allowing children to control small amounts of money.

referenceKretchmer (2020) notes that there is limited access to online content in many underrepresented local languages among Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), such as Papua New Guinea.

claimAt the time the research was conducted, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Papua New Guinea lacked local ethics committees or established social science and ethics standards, so the University of Sydney HREC approved a site-specific protocol for these locations.

claimParents in Papua New Guinea assert that children must respect elders regardless of whether the elders are right or wrong.

claimParticipants in specific countries identified unique values: inquisitiveness, reason, creativity, and leadership (Ethiopia); ethical reasoning and forgiveness (Papua New Guinea); emotional expression (Kenya); determination (Malaysia); honesty (Cameroon); and selflessness (Kyrgyzstan).

Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span academia.edu Nature Medicine 1 fact

referenceAgmon-Levin et al. published the paper 'Antitreponemal antibodies leading to autoantibody production and protection from atherosclerosis in Kitavans from Papua New Guinea' in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 2009.