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Existing evidence regarding Australian attitudes and values relating to social cohesion has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Therefore, there is little understanding of how various programs of research relate to one another, how the information is used, where the data gaps are, and which questions remain unanswered. Drawing upon a scoping review of published research between 2012 and 2022, this paper is a first step towards mapping the extent, range, and nature of the body of national-level research on contemporary Australian social values and cohesion. The review found that there is a dearth of peer-reviewed academic research and what is available focuses on six themes: 1) multiculturalism, cultural diversity, immigration, and racism; 2) Reconciliation; 3) national identity; 4) trust; 5) democracy; and 6) young people. Filling the research gaps will allow better understanding of how macro-level processes may affect intergroup relations and Australians' attitudes towards issues relating to social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, an online survey of 2,015 Australian residents examined the extent of trust of various groups and institutions. A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) of the results generated a typology of trust in Australia. The LCA uncovered four classes based on levels of trust as well as associated demographic profiles and attitudes. The four groups were: those that are very distrusting (15%); those that are largely unsure about how much they can trust various groups and institutions (17%); those that are somewhat trusting (42%); and those that are largely trusting (26%). The largely trusting group was differentiated by their holistic trust in institutions and trust in other Australians (no matter their background). Discomfort with cultural difference was a defining characteristic of the very distrusting class. Examination of these four groups helps understand concerns of Australians and enable the development of strategies to address institutional and interpersonal distrust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between July and August 2015, and in November 2016, the Challenging Racism Project team conducted an online survey to measure the extent and variation of racist attitudes and experiences in Australia. The survey comprised a sample of 6001 Australian residents, which was largely representative of the Australian population. The survey gauged Australians' attitudes toward cultural diversity, intolerance of specific groups, immigration, perceptions of Anglo-Celtic cultural privilege, and belief in racialism, racial separatism and racial hierarchy. In this paper we report findings on respondents' views on cultural diversity, nation and migration. The majority of Australians are pro-diversity. However, we also acknowledge conflicting findings such as strong support for assimilation and identification of 'out groups'. The findings paint a complex picture of attitudes towards cultural diversity, nation and migration in Australia. The attitudes reflect contradictory political trends of celebrated diversity, triumphalist claims about freedom, alongside pro-assimilationist views and stoked Islamophobia. This is within the context of a stalled multicultural project that has not sufficiently challenged assimilationist assumptions and Anglo-privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]