An overwhelming 86 per cent of Australians believe multiculturalism has been good for the nation, according to the latest Mapping Social Cohesion survey from The Scanlon Foundation. Australians are accepting of cultural diversity and immigration, but concerned about changes impacting on social justice.
An overwhelming 86 per cent of Australians believe multiculturalism has been good for the nation, according to the latest Mapping Social Cohesion survey from The Scanlon Foundation. Australians are accepting of cultural diversity and immigration, but concerned about changes impacting on social justice.
This strong endorsement of the nation’s cultural diversity follows similar high levels of support in 2013 and 2014.
This year’s survey also highlights a willingness to facilitate integration with close to two-thirds of respondents in favour of both Australians and new migrants adapting to a changing Australian society, or of the view that Australians should “do more to learn about the customs and heritage of ethnic and cultural groups in this country”.
However, the findings also showed that most Victorians while positive on multiculturalism, are less so towards Muslims.
It found that an overwhelming majority of Victorians agreed that multiculturalism had been very good for Australia, while a decreasing proportion of people, now about 40 per cent, believed the migrant intake was too high.
The national survey revealed that two-thirds of Australians agreed that accepting migrants from many different countries made Australia stronger.
“Multiculturalism has enhanced Australia’s economic prosperity and improved our social cohesion,” said Graham Perrett MP, Member for Moreton.
“But more needs to be done to support our increasingly culturally diverse community and to harness this diversity to build stronger communities and a stronger economy.
Summary of findings by State and region:
- Residents in regional Australia have lower support for immigration, cultural diversity and the resettlement of asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia than respondents living in capital cities.
- Residents in regional areas are more likely to consider Australia’s immigration intake to be too high with 44 per cent of people holding this view, compared to 36 per cent in capital cities – but in both areas, this is a minority view.
- Residents in Melbourne and Canberra have the highest level of support for cultural diversity, compared with those in Brisbane and Perth who are most negative.
- The lowest level of trust in the federal government was in Victoria, the highest level in Queensland and Western Australia.
To view the full report, click here.
