Values and civic behaviour in Australia

This report draws together the findings from a background paper, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with cross-section of Australians, exploring social concerns and aspirations for Australia, personal concerns and aspirations, and how social and personal aspirations relate to each other.The key themes are:

• Are there diverse clusters of Australian values or a shared value set?
• What is the relationship between personal values and values for society?
• What policies are needed to respond to Australian values and aspirations?

What are the possible ways to communicate about values and encourage Australians to take action in and for their communities?

Fourteen focus group discussions were also conducted with people who had differing levels of involvement in their communities, focusing on barriers and incentives to being active in one's community and about social issues. Participants talked about their concerns about Australia and reflected on priorities to create the Australia they desired.

The research method document contains the project brief and briefs for the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. It also includes the recruiting specifications and moderators' guides.