Are social cohesion, trust and social capital declining?

A recent Australian survey undertaken under the Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Coherence research program reached some sobering conclusions. This is the third survey under this program which follows up on surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009. It found a sharp fall in the level of trust of the federal government, in inter-personal trust, and an increase in reported experience of discrinimation. The survey found a decline in community involvement with participation in volunteering declining from 38 per cent in 2009 to 31 per cent in 2011. On the other hand, there was a strong sense of belonging to the country as Australians (91%), and overall happiness and sense of worth was 89 per cent.

The report on the survey concluded that the findings point to erosion of individual connectedness, weakening of communal organisations and a low level of trust in governments, key indicators of threats to social cohesion. The overall Scanlon-Monash Index (SMI) of Social Cohesion showed a fall in the Index from 2007 to 2011, although the Index in 2011 was  marginally higher than in 2010. The survey report and summary are available on the Scanlon Foundation website.

The findings of the report suggest a number of serious issues for cities participating in PIE if these trends exist elsewhere. Questions relevant to social cohersion such as responsible citizenship, volunteering and philantrophy, and the strength of the work of community organisations are taken up in a PIE Discussion Paper on Mobilizing Civil Society which will be posted on the PIE web space later this week.

Is similar evidence on social cohesion, trust, and social cohesion available from other cities participating in PIE?

Is social cohesion, trust, and social capital declining generally?

What can be done?