Communal parenting, marriage and children in Papua, Indonesia: Insights for social work

Abstract

This article provides new social work knowledge about the parenting practices of Papuan parents, which includes their perceptions of marriage and having children. This qualitative ethnographic study included participant observation and individual semi-structured interviews with 49 Papuan parents (34 mothers and 15 fathers), who were interviewed across five different Papuan regencies: Supiori, Jayapura, Jayawijaya, Boven Digul and Mimika. A key finding was that communal parenting and having multiple children were perceived to be a community responsibility, which burdened Papuan women who were continuously occupied in childbearing and rearing.