The 2016 Mapping Social Cohesion report by the Scanlon Foundation has been released. The annual report tracks Australian attitudes on issues including immigration, multiculturalism, discrimination and political trust. It is the largest study of its kind with a collective sample of more than 35,000 people since 2007.
The report’s findings challenge the view that negative attitudes toward Muslim Australians, immigration and multiculturalism are increasing. Over the course of the last six surveys, there has been no significant shift in the negative opinion towards Muslims, which remains in the range of 22-25 per cent.
The Government has walked back from the originally announced 33.5 cents in every dollar to 19 cents, after an election campaign pledge to increase consultation and reschedule the start date to 1 January 2017.
Support for multiculturalism has also remained high. The 2016 report finds 83 per cent agree that multiculturalism has been good for Australia.
“There is a positive view of multiculturalism. Most people see multiculturalism as a two-way process of change, involving adaptation from Australian-born and migrants,” said Professor Andrew Marcus the report’s author.
