Demographic and life course drivers of social cohesion

In Australia, social cohesion is under considerable strain: rates of volunteerism are in decline and there is a reduced sense of collective identity and pride as a country. This poses risks to the harmony and co-operation of society. While policymakers and researchers can track these trends, the reasons for these shifts in cohesion are unclear, and therefore difficult to rectify. By adapting and developing new demographic techniques, this project will identify the driving factors that both support and weaken our connections to each other, our communities and the nation. It will translate and communicate those findings through targeted reports and a novel interactive cohesion health tracker website. These outputs will help map social cohesion across Australia and guide the development of policy and practice responses. Sharing these tools with government and community sector partners wil