Cultural Diversity: The Australian Social Cohesion Surveys

Definition

The Scanlon Foundation social cohesion surveys, first conducted in 2007 and repeated on seven occasions, provide a rich body of surveying data on Australian attitudes to immigration, cultural diversity, and social cohesion. The survey findings indicate that Australia ranks alongside Canada as the most receptive to immigration among Western nations. There is, however, a substantial minority in Australia, close to 40 %, who do not support immigration. The Scanlon Foundation surveys – and other polling over the last 30 years – have consistently found that the vast majority of Australians have a high level of identification with their country, the fundamental prerequisite for any cohesive society. Consideration of attitudes of recent arrivals provides evidence of rapid integration. Of those who arrived since 2000, 86 % of English-speaking background and 88 % of non-English-speaking background indicate a sense of belonging to a “great” or “moderate extent.” There is strong...