The Australian Social Cohesion Society is an independent, non-partisan think tank dedicated to the study and stewardship of social cohesion in Australia. We translate rigorous evidence into public understanding, civic education, and considered policy.
Few countries have brought together so many peoples, faiths, and traditions with such success. Nearly a third of Australians were born overseas; hundreds of languages are spoken in our homes; and yet we remain, by global standards, a remarkably peaceful, prosperous, and cohesive society. This is one of the quiet achievements of the modern world.
But social cohesion is not self-sustaining. It is built and rebuilt in every generation — through the trust we extend to strangers, the bonds we form with neighbours, the institutions we hold in common, and the shared story we tell about who we are. Where that fabric is neglected, it frays. Where it is tended, it endures.
The Australian Social Cohesion Society was founded on a simple conviction: that the cohesion which holds Australia together is too important to take for granted. We exist to understand it, to strengthen it, and to defend it — through rigorous research, public education, and a clear, evidence-based voice in the national conversation.
A cohesive Australia is not a finished fact. It is a shared responsibility.
Australia is one of the most successful diverse societies in the world. That success is not accidental, and it is not guaranteed. It rests on a fabric of shared belonging, civic trust, mutual respect, and active participation that must be tended in every generation.
ASCS exists to examine that fabric closely — to understand where it is strong, where it is fraying, and what the country can do to keep it whole. We work in service of a confident, plural Australia in which difference is recognised and the common ground is renewed.
Excellent research already exists on Australian social cohesion — most notably the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute's eighteen-year Mapping Social Cohesion study, which surveys more than 8,000 Australians annually. The harder challenge is translation: turning that evidence into something the public, educators, journalists, and policymakers can actually use.
That is the work of ASCS. We sit at the intersection of research, public education, and civic discourse — using the best available data to inform classrooms, conversations, and the national conversation online and off.
See the evidence baseWe are not aligned with any political party, religious institution, or commercial interest. Our analysis follows the evidence.
Social cohesion is a national interest, not a partisan one. We engage with ideas and policies from across the political spectrum on their merits.
Strong claims require strong evidence. We rely on the highest-quality Australian and international research, with sources clearly cited.
We see Australia's diversity — cultural, religious, generational, regional — as a defining strength to be understood, supported, and built upon.
We tell the story straight: where Australia is doing well, where it is not, and where the hardest questions remain unanswered.
Our work belongs in classrooms, community halls, and feeds — not only in journals. We write to be read, and we publish to be useful.
— Mapping Social Cohesion 2025
ASCS partners with researchers, educators, community organisations, and journalists. If your work touches on belonging, diversity, civic trust, or the Australian fabric — we would like to hear from you.
office@ascsociety.org.au