Sense of Belonging and Media Representation among Multilingual Audiences in Australia

This study is a second iteration (Wave 2) of Sense of Belonging Among Multilingual Audiences in Australia (Wave 1), published in 2023. The core purpose is to understand the role of news media and media representation more generally in fostering social participation and a sense of belonging among multilingual communities.  

The study adopted a multimodal and multilingual methodology, and was conducted in seven languages: Arabic, Cantonese, Italian, Mandarin, Punjabi, Vietnamese, and English. Punjabi was added in Wave 2. Respondents from these language communities could respond in the language of their choice. In Wave 2, we also compared key indicators with the general population.

Among different aspects that make people feel they belong, multilingual audiences are more likely to feel at home in Australia but have less confidence about making an impact on society. We found that the general population is experiencing a lower sense of belonging compared to the multilingual population in Australia.

The research uncovers other drivers to belonging, including age and residency status, in addition to English language confidence and length of stay in Australia which were revealed as important factors. We found that age and residency status in Australia are significant drivers that foster a sense of belonging. Multilingual communities with Australian citizenship feel more at home in Australia and are more likely to experience a sense of membership within their community than permanent or temporary residents. Older Australians are more likely to feel at home. 

Funding

This research was conducted in collaboration with SBS.