1. Cultural Value
And
Societal Roles
By: Kelvin Sar & Robert Mor

2. Table of Content
1. Introduction
2. Dressing and Appearance
1. Poverty
2. Gender Issues
3. Gender Class
3. Respect and Dignity
1. Lack of Respect
2. Harassment
1. Victimizations
2. Bullying
4. Religion
1. Religion and Magic
2. Torturing
5. Conclusion
6. Recommendation
7. Bibliography
8. Reference

3. Introduction
Papua New Guinea (PNG) as over 800+ languages and almost the same number of
traditional cultures. Every PNG community as a traditional culture which is usually very
unique to each other (The Melanesian Way Inc. Papua New Guinea (tmwpng), 2016).
We use our social interaction with others to make sense and give purpose to our lives.
Now days many things have changed because of the western influence upon us. We as
individual try to adapt to the new world and as in doing so our cultural values and
societal norms are easily fading away.

4. Dressing and Appearance
Dressing can describe your culture, mood, level of confidence, interest, age, value and
sexual identity. Different societies and cultures have different norm and style of dressing to
conduct on certain occasions, which it help to identified cultures and people who belong to
that groups. With the norm of dressing we can understand the cultural values and societal
roles of person who belongs to particular organization, institutions, and race of people. But
sometimes we tend to do criticism and judge the way people dressed, which is absurd and
traumatize to that individual. This can describe such situations as being poverty, gender
dressing, and societal class.
 Poverty
 Gender dressing
 Social Class

5. Respect and Dignity
Among the most important human needs is respect and dignity. This need don’t
change from a person if he/she become ill or disable. Respect for individual in our
society is very important, were everyone is seems as important and self-worth. People
seem to lose their rights in their community, whenever they doing something wrong to
others or their properties
 Lack of Respect

6.  Respect and dignity are needs that belong to everyone, regardless of dis-ability,
gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,
race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation in the society.
 Harassments
i. Victimization
ii. Bullying

7. Religion
 Religion and Magic
Melanesians ways of life has way in manifesting ancestral and other spirits in their
walks of social lives. In Melanesians life, the ancestors usually communicate with the
spirits and ghosts in the meta-divine realm in other carry out the daily routine of life.
The concepts of mana (“efficacy” or “potency”) and tapu (“sacred, forbidden, off-
limits”), well known in Polynesia, were fairly widely distributed in Melanesia as well.
(Kahn, 2016)
 Torturing

8. Conclusion
 To conclude, it is identified that Western influence have a great impact on cultural
values and societal roles within the Melanesian societies. Without being fully aware
of such impact there would be a loss of cultural values. Therefore, this issues are
needed to be addressed in order for change to take place. This cultural values and
societal roles needs to preserved and passed on through generations to maintain
our cultural identities, heritage and prestige. In doing this, we maintain our dignity
and cultural identity, as well as the values of our cultural origin.

9. Recommendations
 •It is up to parents to maintain and pass on their cultural values and societal roles
to the upcoming generations.
 •The government should set up small “haus tumbunas” in each electorate or in
district so that this can help to preserve some or the rare and ancient cultural
artifacts which as their totem.
 •The government should implement a curriculum based on the cultural values and
societal roles which are commonly being used throughout the Melanesian Ways.

10. Bibliography
 •The Melanesian Way Inc. Papua New Guinea (tmwpng). (2016, 7 13). Retrieved from
https://tmwpng.wordpress.com: https://tmwpng.wordpress.com/culture/
 •Kahn, R. M. (2016, 7 1). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com: https://www.britannica.com/place/Melanesia

 •Williams, R.M. Jr.(1970).American society: A sociological interpretation(3rd Edn.). New
York: Knopf.
Reference
 •Mind Tool. (n.d.) Avoiding Cross Cultural Faux Pas: Clothes. Retrieved from August 8,
2016, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/avoiding-cross-cultural-faux-pas-
clothing.htm
 •National Caregiver Library. (n.d.) Respect and Dignity. Retrieved from August 8, 2016,
from http://www.caregiverslibrary.org/caregivers-resources/grp-emotional-
issues/respect-and-dignity-article.aspx