CathNews New Zealand

Giving money to the Church is more important than paying for a child’s education for most Samoans.

A study published in the Singapore Journal of Topical Geography  “Hard times in Apia? Urban landlessness and the Church in Samoa,” says research suggest that “all five areas surveyed, households prioritise giving to the church as their primary or secondary commitment, followed by the payment of school fees.”

“These findings suggest that urban-based kin do not contribute or participate in traditional reciprocal exchanges with their rural extended families, and instead target their resources towards the needs of the household and membership of urban-based faith groups.”

The study also reveals a further disconnect of Samoans from their traditional norms and values, including their ancestral past, and their mainstreaming into an increasingly Pacific urban way of life.

The authors, Alec Thornton, Tony Binns and Maria Talaitupu, claim that in many Pacific Island countries  kinship and Christianity traditionally form the foundation for all political, economic and social organisation and are inextricably linked.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Image: Across.co.nz

Additional reading

• Samoan parents give to church first education second Radio Australia Interview with Sophie Budvietas, chief reporter from the Samoa Observer

News category: Asia Pacific.