2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

What Values Would You Instill in Your Children?: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Future Parents in the U.S., South Africa, and India

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Iryna Babik

Abstract

Past research suggests that parents from individualist and collectivist cultures differ in the values that they instill in their children.1,2 Individualist parenting is associated with more independence and autonomy, while collectivist parenting is associated with more family obligations and community strengths.2,3 The present study aimed to investigate the values of future parents from different cultures. Young adults (university students) in the U.S. (n=80), South Africa (n=60), and India (n=70) were interviewed in person and asked which values they would like to instill in their future children. Their responses were audio recorded and transcribed. A qualitative analysis was used to identify the most prevalent values of future parents in each country. The most reported value in each country was respect, demonstrating that each culture identified the importance of the consideration of others and self. Those in the U.S. reported wanting to instill additional values of honesty, kindness, and hard work. South Africans described the importance of their culture and Ubuntu, an African concept that emphasizes the importance of community and interconnectedness. The young adults in India named culture and kindness as values they would like to install in their children. The values reported by young adults in South Africa and India were more community-based compared to those reported in the U.S.. These differences are consistent with previous research demonstrating the impact of individualist and collectivist cultures on parental values.

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