David Blaine is working on a National Geographic series

Imagination trumps obedience when it comes to what the public thinks are important qualities in children, according to new research. But while British attitudes have changed in the past three decades, children being taught good manners at home is still highly rated among the majority of people, the wide-ranging survey found. Some 85% of people in 2022 saw good manners as especially important for children, down only slightly on the 89% who said so in 1990, research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London (KCL) showed. Good manners are still the quality we want to see most, there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of hard work, and we’re also among the very most likely to value unselfishness Professor Bobby Duffy Obedience is now far less valued, the analysis of the long-running World Values Survey (WVS) found, with just 11% of those asked last year citing it as being an especially important quality for children to be taught, down from a peak of 50% who felt that way in 1998. More people now think qualities including independence and hard work are important things for a child to be taught, with the former up to 53% last year from 43% in 1990, and the latter having risen from 29% to 48%. Around four in 10 (41%) people said determination and perseverance were important, up from 31% three decades earlier, while more than a third (37%) felt imagination was important, up from less than a fifth (18%) in 1990. Tolerance and respect for others are still among the qualities seen as very important, coming just behind good manners at the top of the list, but it is now seen as less important that a child is taught to be unselfish, the research found. More than half (56%) of people thought it was especially important for a child to be taught not to be selfish back in 1990, but that fell to 43% last year. Of the 24 countries surveyed, the UK is among the most likely to value unselfishness in children and among the least likely to value responsibility and obedience, researchers said. More people in Japan, Norway, Sweden and South Korea felt imagination was very important for children to have, while only five countries (Egypt, Philippines, Morocco, Nigeria and Mexico) were above the UK in valuing good manners in children. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at KCL, said: “The qualities we’d like to see instilled in our children are important signals of what we value as a society – and the very clear message from these long-term trends is the increased importance of imagination and decline in how much we prize straightforward obedience. “But this doesn’t mean we want a society of self-centred children – good manners are still the quality we want to see most, there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of hard work, and we’re also among the very most likely to value unselfishness. “Instead, this is likely to reflect a more general shift towards valuing self-expression, while still wanting our children to be positive and productive contributors to society.” The 2022 data comes from a sample of 3,056 adults across the UK interviewed by Ipsos through a mix on face-to-face and online survey methods, but for the analysis of trends over time, data is nationally representative for Great Britain only due to a lack of available trend data from Northern Ireland, and is based on surveys of 1,000 or more adults. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 7 ways you could be damaging your eye health without even realising Celebrities mingle with royals at glam Vogue World party in London Sienna Miller bares baby bump at celebrity and royal-studded Vogue event

Millions of Americans will attend parades, fireworks, barbecues and other Independence Day events on Tuesday, celebrating the courage and sacrifices of the nation’s 18th century patriots who fought for the nation’s independence from England and what they considered an unjust government

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 9, 2023--

Blackstone Inc. has quietly built the largest flexible office brand in London’s central districts. The private equity firm’s

Applied Materials Inc. is suing a Chinese-owned rival over what it says was a 14-month effort to steal

Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston is starting to gain more confidence from quarterback Justin Herbert with the season at the midway point

Former Vice President Mike Pence will launch his 2024 presidential campaign on June 7 with an announcement video and a speech in Iowa, two sources familiar with the plans tell CNN.

The Minnesota Vikings don't appear keen to trade Kirk Cousins, but one Reddit conspiracist has a remarkably sound theory.

Undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor has questioned whether women's boxing has the “strength and depth” to move to three-minute rounds. The Irish fighter will try to avenge the only loss of her professional career when she faces Chantelle Cameron this month in a rematch of their fight in May. Some top fighters led by Amanda Serrano have been pushing for the choice to switch from the traditional 10 two-minute rounds to 12 three-minute rounds for title fights. Cameron signed on to Serrano's statement a month ago calling for the change, arguing that it would put women on par with men and allow them to earn more money. "I haven't really got any preference either way," the 37-year-old Taylor said. "The two-minute rounds are a real fast pace. They say the three-minute rounds will cause more knockouts, but I don't think that's true. "I don't know if women's boxing has the strength and depth to have three-minute rounds really. For me, I really don't care whether it's a two or three-minute round. I spar three-minute rounds all the time. There's pros and cons to both really." The Taylor vs Cameron fight — on 25 November at the 3Arena in Dublin — will be 10 two-minute rounds like the first one. Serrano defended her world featherweight belts two weeks ago with a unanimous decision over Danila Ramos in 12 three-minute rounds in Orlando, describing two-minute rounds as "a sprint" and with the extra minute "we get to showcase our skills." Taylor edged Serrano in a thriller at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in May 2022. It was the first time a women's boxing match headlined at the famous venue. A Taylor vs Serrano rematch was in the works but the Puerto Rican fighter pulled out because of injury. Cameron then stepped in and ruined Taylor's homecoming, the judges scoring the Dublin fight 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95 for the Englishwoman. Taylor (22-1) again is challenging for Cameron's world super-lightweight belts at 140 pounds. The 32-year-old Cameron is 18-0. For Taylor, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, it was her first loss at any level since being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. "Mentally and physically I feel a lot better going into this one," said Taylor, who lives and trains in Connecticut. "I just had a bit of a flat night, just a flat performance. I certainly wasn't myself on the night, and I think everybody who watched the fight could see that." Cameron threw nearly twice as many punches as Taylor in the first fight. AP Read More Katie Taylor ‘aware of what is at stake’ in Chantelle Cameron rematch Amanda Serrano revels in ‘historic night’ for women’s boxing Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

West Virginia has beaten Oklahoma only once since joining the Big 12 in 2012

An unrelenting heat wave in Texas is testing the state's power grid as demand soars during a second week of triple-digit temperatures