This article explores notions of interpersonal dependence and personal independence voiced by university students, graduates, and staff in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It discusses how those obtaining a university education to become regular wage earners reflect on navigating the financial requests of less privileged kin. Wage earners often ascribe dependence to these kin and former sponsors who subsequently may rely on them in times of need. As the number of putatively dependent kin are often large, the process of social stratification that university-educated wage earners experience also gives rise to reflections about social welfare systems that underlie or could potentially alleviate specific constellations of perceived dependence. Ascriptions of dependence as discussed in this article highlight the combination of the dynamic circumstances of ongoing social stratification and nation-making with increased levels of connectivity through transport and mobile phone infrastructure, leading an emerging middle class to reconsider some of their social connections.

中文翻译：

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巴布亚新几内亚大学的（In）依赖概念

本文探讨了巴布亚新几内亚 (PNG) 的大学生、毕业生和工作人员所表达的人际依赖和个人独立的概念。它讨论了那些接受大学教育成为正常工薪阶层的人如何思考如何应对弱势亲属的财务要求。工薪阶层通常将依赖归咎于这些亲属和前赞助商，他们随后可能在需要时依赖他们。由于推定依赖亲属的数量通常很大，受过大学教育的工薪阶层所经历的社会分层过程也引发了对社会福利制度的反思，这些制度是或可能减轻特定的依赖关系的基础。