Yumi olgeta papua niugini: cultural identity formations and national consciousness among urban-educated youth in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This thesis examines the self-identification of university-age urban Papua New Guineans and their role in nation-building. I question the role of the state and civil society in nation-building and the ideal of the nation-state model for the diverse Melanesian region. I focus on the implications of social change and social identities in urban Papua New Guinea (PNG) through globalization and migration flows from the rural to the urban. I argue that the influences of modernity and urban social change, particularly being away from customary land ties, lead to a self-identification among the urban youth towards a regional identity and a national imagery, highlighting their significant role in defining what it is to be Papua New Guinean.