You’ve probably heard the term ‘social cohesion’ thrown around quite a bit this year. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard anyone who isn’t a government official or an academic use it.

More to the point, what is it?

According to the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, social cohesion is broadly defined as: “The willingness of members of society to cooperate with each other in order to survive and prosper.”

This week, the Institute released its annual Mapping Social Cohesion Report. It revealed Australia’s social cohesion is at a record low for the second year in a row.

Today, I want to look at what exactly that looks like — and why.

If ‘social cohesion’ sounds like it came from a speech by a politician trying to win an election, it’s because it basically did. One of the earliest mentions of the term in Australian politics was by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, launching his 1972 election campaign.

Fifty-two years on, the Government has appointed a ‘Special Envoy’ as part of ongoing efforts to preserve social cohesion in Australia.

It’s not hard to see why. The Scanlon Institute’s survey, answered by more than 8,000 people this year, revealed that Australia’s social cohesion remains at a record low in the report’s 17-year history.

It is measured by analysing people’s sense of belonging, worth, social justice and equity, political participation, and levels of acceptance and rejection.

The Institute found financial stress, loneliness, and lack of community are driving Australians away from each other.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why this is the case.

As a federal election approaches, both sides of politics have proposed policies to reduce immigration. The Government has promised to cap international student numbers, and the Opposition has committed to cutting the permanent migration program. This bipartisan crackdown on immigration is mirrored in public attitudes.

This year, almost half (49%) of survey respondents said they believe “the number of immigrants accepted into Australia at present” is too high.

Despite opposition to immigration from an economic perspective, 69% of those who think it’s too high also agree that “immigrants are generally good for Australia’s economy.”

What’s the reason for this dissonance? The Scanlon Institute linked the growing belief that immigration is too high to immediate concerns about housing affordability and jobs. Meanwhile, the longer-term social and economic contributions of immigration may have taken a back seat in people’s minds – but they’re not completely out of the car.

Speaking of economics, the ‘cozzie livs’ remains a dominant issue, creating “social inequalities that drag down Australia’s social cohesion.”

While household incomes grew during the lockdown era, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic threw a spanner in the economy.

We saw the RBA take off the gloves in its fight against inflation. Consecutive interest rate increases led to higher mortgages, rising rents, and tightened household budgets.

Although 2024 saw inflation slow down, financial hardships persist for many Aussies today.

About 40% of respondents to the Institute’s survey described themselves this year as “just getting along.” Respondents reported skipping meals, leaving bills unpaid, and neglecting healthcare or medicine due to financial constraints.

Perceptions of class divide are as strong as they’ve always been, with 84% of people believing that “in Australia today, the gap between those with high incomes and those with low incomes is too large.” This has been fairly steady since the survey began.

The report found that people’s “financial well-being is one of the factors most strongly associated” with a sense of belonging, public trust, and happiness.

Australia might have a ‘laidback’ reputation internationally, but despite that, we are also hard-core rule followers. I think breaking the record for the world’s longest COVID-19 lockdowns is proof of that.

Knowing this, you might think Aussies would generally have positive levels of trust in our governments and organisations, right? Well, that’s not quite the case. It’s more of a love-hate relationship.

Australians tend to value public and community services, but trust sours when it comes to governments and the media.

70% of adults surveyed believed the health system, police, and not-for-profits could be trusted “all or most of the time.” Around half trust employers, local councils, and trade unions.

However, trust in the Federal Government has been declining since COVID-19. This year, only one in three adults said they trust the Federal Government “all or most of the time.”

This lack of trust stems from the fact that 45% of respondents believe our political system “needs major changes or should be replaced.” Additionally, 31% believe that within these systems, politicians “abuse their power.”

Australians thought even less of media companies, though trust levels varied depending on the type of media. For example, 22% said they could “almost never” trust traditional media, while 45% felt the same about social media companies.

When people don’t align with the organisations that are supposed to represent them, they can often feel alienated. The Institute says this is driving divides in certain cohorts, especially younger people.

While each generation reported a shared focus on issues such as the cost of living and housing, differences in other areas emerged.

Younger Australians reported weaker senses of belonging and higher levels of loneliness compared to older age groups. For instance, 78% of those over 75-years-old said they felt “a sense of belonging in Australia to a great extent.” That sentiment was shared by just 27% of young Australians aged between 18 and 24.

Young Australians also reported higher levels of loneliness compared to their older counterparts. 62% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they felt isolated from others “some of the time or often,” compared to 25% of those over 75.

These ideas are linked – if young Aussies are disconnected from others around them, it makes sense they don’t feel strongly that they belong in Australia. That could be related to a lack of trust in the Government too, with a sense of not being represented or cared for by authorities contributing to disconnection.

2024 Australia is evidently not Gough Whitlam’s 1970s Australia, but social cohesion is no less important to Governments.

The past couple of years have undoubtedly been increasingly tense, and we’ve seen divisions apply pressure on social cohesion. Global conflicts, growing inequality, and religious differences have threatened the strength of our “social fabric.”

Surveys like this could become increasingly important in preparing leaders with the language, tools, and knowledge they’ll need to manage these challenges.

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In this week's wrap of good news, we discuss our obsession with Missy Higgins, the women's sporting teams breaking records, and the voice of Afghan girls.