Society & Culture
December 2020
Polling – Reflections on 2020
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,018 Australians about their perceptions of the year 2020. Australians were presented with a list of 11 words or phrases and asked which best describes 2020. “Unprecedented” was the single most popular choice, chosen by 19%. “Unprecedented” was followed by “Terrible” (14%), “Tragic” (12%) and “Exhausting”
July 2020
June 2020
Background Brief: Economic Importance of the Arts and Entertainment Sector
This background brief summarises Australia Institute research on the role of the sector and related polling. Key Details: The arts and entertainment sector contributes $14.7 billion per year in value added (GDP). Arts and entertainment employ 193,600 Australians. For every million dollars in turnover, arts and entertainment produce 9 jobs while the construction industry only produces around
May 2020
April 2020
February 2020
November 2019
Submission to an inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy. The submission outlines how the Australia Institute’s existing research applies to each of the committee’s terms of reference.
July 2019
Homeshare: Getting on Together
The Australia Institute and Homeshare Australia made a joint submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The submission outlines the wide range of economic and social benefits homeshare programs provide, such as alleviating loneliness and avoiding entry into residential care. The Royal Commission has an opportunity to recommend government investment in
June 2019
April 2019
- RURAL-REGIONAL-REMOTE
Polling – Lattes and Chardonnays
New research from The Australia Institute dispels stereotypes around what Australians drink and their political leanings finding that café latte drinkers vote Liberal/National more than any other party.
September 2018
January 2018
Australians laid back about Australia Day – poll
While nearly all Australians (84%) think it is important that Australia has a national day of commemoration and celebration, most Australians (56%) don’t really mind when we hold Australia Day, so long as we do. And most people don’t know why Australia Day is held on January 26. Polling, released today by The Australia Institute,
December 2017
Polling – Presents, Wasteful Consumption and Repairs
Key Results The Australia Institute surveyed 1,417 Australians about presents, waste and repairs. Gifts Three quarters of respondents (75%) like to buy Christmas gifts However, 42% would prefer others not to buy them gifts, compared with 47% who disagreed with this idea. Around a third (31%) said they expect to get gifts they won’t use
January 2017
The American Far-Right Origins of Pauline Hanson’s Views on Islam
In the context of One Nation’s presence in the Australian Senate, indications of increased voter support for the party and wider populist trends in the United States and Europe, Australians need to understand One Nation’s world view – especially where the party’s ideas come from. It is important to chart One Nation’s ideological and political
March 2015
Everyday Sexism
New research, released on the eve of International Women’s Day, finds that nine in ten Australian women have experienced street harassment and modify their behaviour in response. Actions women are taking for their personal safety include everything from crossing the street to avoid strangers, to pretending to have a conversation on their phone, to grasping
March 2013
Trouble with childcare
Recent government approaches to childcare funding have been simple rather than innovative. Improvements in affordability have been short lived, with benefits quickly absorbed through higher costs charged to families. The result is an ongoing game of catch up between government and service providers with families stuck in the middle. Since 2001, the proportion of Australian
January 2012
Rubbery Figures: An examination of the claimed and likely cost of poker machine reform in Australia
Poker machines play a major role in redistributing income away from those with the least and towards those with the most. According to the Productivity Commission the social cost of poker machines is approximately $4.7 billion per year. Perversely, those who profit most from this most inequitable of income distribution devices often justify the existing
August 2011
What you don’t know can hurt you: How market concentration threatens internet diversity
The internet today stands at a crossroads. Entry into the online marketplace is in theory open to virtually anyone with sufficient technological know-how and a viable business model. As a result, the World Wide Web is now the very model of diversity, with more information, more products and more opinions accessible more easily than through
July 2011
The wage-penalty effect: The hidden cost of maternity leave
Australian women suffer a ‘wage penalty’ when they return to work after having a child, according to new research by the Australia Institute. In the first year back at work, women can expect to earn around four per cent less per hour on average than they would if they had not had a child, the
May 2011
The rise and rise of online retail
The online retail boom has begun and it is unlikely to abate soon. According to Southern Cross Equities (2010) domestic online retailers have doubled their market share to 4.0 per cent of 2010 annual sales up from 2.1 per cent in 2005. In addition, overseas purchases driven by a strong dollar and falling shipping prices
July 2009
November 2008
August 2008
Agreeing to Disagree: Maintaining dissent in the NGO sector
The Rudd Government has committed to the introduction of a national compact with the community sector and is currently consulting with NGOs regarding the development of such an agreement by 2009. This report considers whether a formal agreement is the right way for the government and the community sector to go about building an ongoing
June 2008
Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Paid Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave
Our submission supports a minimum of 26 weeks paid leave. This would be funded through a mix of employment related and government transfer payments to families. The government transfers would be available to working and non-working families while employment related entitlements would apply to working women and men.
July 2007
Do politicians deserve to go to heaven? Public attitudes to prominent Australians.
This piece focuses on if the electorate believes that prominent politicians should go to heaven. Out of the six politicians John Howard scored the lowest with less than half of the population believing he should go to heaven, while Peter Garrett scored the highest at 74%. When split into political parties Howard was the most
December 2006
Letting Children be Children: Stopping the sexualisation of children in Australia
This paper explains why the current patchwork of media and advertising regulation is failing to prevent the premature sexualisation of Australian children. A number of improvements are proposed based on a review of current regulatory arrangements for the areas most responsible for the sexualisation of children: girls’ magazines, television and outdoor advertising, and television programs.
October 2006
The Politics of the Past and the Future
This article critics the cold war mentality of John Howard’s speech at the 50th anniversary of the Quadrant. Howard attacked environmentalists, unions, public schools, teachers and indigenous rights activists. The ability to tap into anti-left fear is due to the perceived moral decay of society that the conservatives have dominated. This article recommends a closer connection
Corporate Paedophilia: Sexualisation of children in Australia
This report gives the first comprehensive overview of the ways in which Australian children are being sexualised by advertising and marketing from a very young age. It also describes in detail the risks children face as a result of this corporate paedophilia.
September 2006
Baby Boomers and Retirement: Dreams, fears and anxieties
This new paper reports the results of an extensive study of the attitudes of baby boomers to retirement and shifting perceptions to the pension and self-funding.