Attitudinal Barriers to Reconciliation in Australia

Abstract

Despite a raft of studies focused on reconciliation in Australia, we still have relatively little quantitative information about reconciliation-related attitudes among Australians, the key factors associated with these attitudes, effective approaches to attitudinal change, or divergent patterns by socio-demographic factors. This paper begins to address this gap in the literature by utilising recent key datasets, principally, representative telephone surveys undertaken at the local, state and national levels. While those with overt racist and anti-reconciliationist attitudes were in the minority, findings indicate the continued presence of problematic attitudes among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians as well as overseas and Australian-born respondents. Awareness of white privilege appears to be an important correlate of reconciliationist attitudes, along with age and level of education. Evidence from public social marketing campaigns demonstrates that some attitudes are amendable to change while others remain resistant to modification. I conclude with recommendations for future research and action that could support viable reconciliation pathways in Australia.