Australia Reimagined: Towards a More Compassionate, Less Anxious Society By Hugh Mackay

Without considering broader considerations for our falling education results which are apparent in the rest of his writing He makes no attempt to understand the reasons why people are leaving Public Education in droves People want the best for their children They will sacrifice so their children can have privileges and advantages In the end they want to provide children with the highest quality education possible My perception is that the needs of the many are sacrificed for the special needs of the few Education is a privilege and I do not see the sense in throwing good money after bad. orgSocial connection is needed now than ever In Australia Reimagined Hugh Mackay says that real change begins on your street This is the litmus test of if we are a compassionate society 9781743534823 Australia Reimagined helps shed light on the many ways we as individuals can foster a life rich with the rewards of living in vibrant and inclusive communities Mackay s book explains why NAPLAN is in conflict with quality education and what we can expect from individualised world class education It puts our current values on the table and forces us to reflect on the changes we can make to realise the long held aspirations of any civil society Mackay s book demonstrates the relevance of religion in civil society It explains how reforming parliament can strengthen democracy and better serve individuals His writing explains how gender quotas can engender change benefitting all Australians What I take most from Reimagining Australia is the importance of increasing equity offered to all Australians.

In this thought provoking and extremely readable book Mackay urges us to consider the state of Australia at present and to reflect upon whether we are living in a manner that is consistent with the maintenance and development of Australian values whatever those might be If nothing else read the list of qualities Mackay identifies in an ideal Australia page 298 and following and undertake that exercise for yourself While you may not agree with all of those that Mackay lists there is great value in identifying them for yourself and thinking about what contribution you make as a citizen towards upholding them 9781743534823 Australia Reimagined by Hugh MackayHave you ever read a book that seems like it would be better for a book club and discussion than worth reading just on your own Australia Reimagined is what I imagine such a book would be That is a book where discussion with others would fill in a number of gaps while delivering a debate interesting than the originating work. Written as a proposal for change in the way Australia as a nation currently operates Australia Reimagined outlines several the major social problems facing the country and what could be done about them. Unfortunately I found the author s grounding for the proposals the key problem statements fairly weak While some referencing does exist it seems very light to me and often relies on a method of this high profile person said this so therefore it must be true That isn t to say that the problems of inequality casualization of the workforce breakdown of communities etc don t exist There is plenty of data and studies to support a real need for change but they are rarely if ever used in this book and very little supporting evidence is provided for why the problems exist at least compared to similar books If one wishes to write about a country s troubles and galvanise action I suggest it poor form to expect the reader to gather their own source material just to get on board with your central premise. From the middle of the book onward the book does improve as it shifts to the theoretical which seems to be Mackay s stronger point However I also believe you can find better content on the subject matter by looking at reports and other political theory cultural analysis books If you re looking to stoke the fires of outrage and motivate yourself to action I suggest this book is damp kindling at best. 2 stars 9781743534823 There s plenty to like about this book although many of the issues addressed as Mackay acknowledges are not limited to Australia The need for compassion and the redirection of our compulsive busyness is almost globally essential although there are certainly discernible shifts in behaviour since the onset of coronavirus. The book provides a good framework from which to make comparisons to the pre pandemic world but Mackay s writing is too flabby for a really compelling and urgent argument A pity because there s plenty to value here and many ideas that deserve both attention and action 9781743534823 I did feel the anxieties that Mackay mentioned and I m very interested in the idea of a community neighbourhood that cares about each other I actually don t even know my neighbours At the same time there were a lot of social issues to get worked up about towards the end of the book that just had me frustrated so I guess there is definitely still a lot to be done 9781743534823 I have read a few of Hugh Mackay s books and generally enjoy them I was a little disappointed in this one as I felt some of his commentary on the current state of social cohesion in Australia was based on feel and general scuttlebutt rather than considered fact. I note for example his commentary on the Changing Patterns of Marriage and Divorce p45 He generally expresses the current trends as a social failure The Australian Institute of Family Studies research numbers suggests this may not be true Even accounting for the extraordinary jump in pent up divorces when No Fault Divorce was introduced in the mid 1970 s divorce rates have been in steady decline since particularly since 2000 While it is true that about one third of all marriages may end in divorce this may not be inconsistent with historical trends and may in fact result in better social outcomes as couples leave irreconcilable differences. Mackay also addresses what he describes as the Me culture p56 While we older Australians may find the extensive use of social media and tattoo fashions a little bewildering and possibly irritating Mackay offers no hard data to support his view that these activities may lead to depression drug abuse and obesity in young people. All in all the book is worth reading and should cause the reader to deeply consider the current state of Australia s society 9781743534823 When it comes to our future misplaced optimism is as dangerous as blind faith What is needed is the courage to face the way things are and the wisdom and imagination to work out how to make things better Australia s unprecedented run of economic growth has failed to deliver a stable or harmonious society Individualism is rampant Income inequality is growing Public education is under resourced The gender revolution is stalling We no longer trust our major institutions or our political leaders We are socially fragmented anxious depressed overweight medicated deeper in debt and increasingly addicted whether to our digital devices drugs pornography or stuff Yet esteemed social researcher Hugh Mackay remains optimistic Twenty five years ago he revolutionised Australian social analysis with the publication of Reinventing Australia Now he takes another unflinching look at us and offers some compelling proposals for a compassionate and socially cohesive Australia You might not agree with everything he suggests but you ll find it hard to get some of his ideas out of your head Argued with intelligence and passion this book is essential reading for everyone who loves Australia enough to want to make it a better place for us all Australia Reimagined Towards a More Compassionate Less Anxious SocietySome of us have been following the work of Hugh Mackay and his social research team for a number of years I always find his work interesting One because much of his research is based on interviewing people like you and me Two because I often find myself going yes I often noticed or wondered about that too as I read on He looks at politics education religion gender and much besides. Will we like some of the contents of these pages Yes Will we find other aspects hard to swallow Yes Will we agree with all of his interpretations and conclusions No not all But some yes indeed No wonder For holding a mirror up to our society reveals a reflection of some of the beauties and the blemishes. He hopes for a less anxious and a considerate courteous and compassion society That gives me hope 9781743534823 So right yet so wrong I agreed with his identification of the issues that he identified but found myself disagreeing with his proposed solutions Mackay does the Post Modernist trick of believing that if he can describe a problem it somehow qualifies him to prescribe a solution He would have done well to investigate the conservative agenda to balance the left wing agenda he promotes. At times I think Mackay takes a romantic and myopic utopian vision of how great Australia used to be as he joins the group of alarmist Chicken Little s that they sky is about to fall He also romanticizes about how good the Pre Industrial Era was for citizens without any acknowledgement that it was violent and less safe for the citizens. Once you become aware of his agenda Mackay is predictably left wing he then describes a tyrannical system of quotas bribes and torture to move things towards his vision of utopia Stalinism He repeatedly refers to the need for compassion but show little for those who do not conform to his a priori held views He occasionally sets up straw man arguments but makes no real attempt to communicate as understanding of those he disagrees with His discussion around marriage and child birth had misanthropic themes especially towards successful people they should not have so many if any children I can only hope he never gains power nor his ideas traction. Whilst he states that he believes in equality of opportunity and denies having an agenda for equality of outcome I believe his suggestions were aimed at equality of outcome which I cannot abide by His idea for an unelected citizens parliament where parliamentarians are drawn randomly like Lotto is a bit out there and I cannot endorse or abide by this concept We want to be lead by our best brightest and wisest I agreed that As long as MPs are seen to represent their party rather than their electorate and settle into politics for the long haul the political class inevitably becomes detached from the society it is meant to serve a process not helped by unseemly behaviour in the parliament that might amuse the players themselves and their devoted cheersquads but either bores or repels the rest of us p 20 I have found what he identifies as a loss of trust and disinterest in the political class true in my own life This is a big problem but how do we make it better He attacks Non Public Education and Teachers but highly libertarian values I hold Maybe I value freedom and liberty so highly because so far I have made a lot of the right choices that have lead me towards success by my own measure and becoming better over time In the end the right choices have been what might be described as reflecting conservative values Libertarian by outlook conservative by choice I do not think that these choices should be enforced by law I strongly believe in a social safety net no one should starve to death in Australia but we need a conversation as to where it is set I believe that things are better than depicted by Mackay I know things in the past were not worse We do not need to Make Australia Great Again It never was that great nor is it that bad now Things for the average citizen are improving He would do well to read Steven Pinker s book Enlightenment Now 9781743534823 For the most part this book was an interesting read however the author lost me at chapter 6 Gender wars I found the author s voice of reason on the pathway to peace to be mere patriarchal commentary 9781743534823 I have just finished reading Australia Reimagined towards a compassionate less anxious society by Hugh Mackay This is a great read Australia Reimagined is Hugh Mackay s follow up book to his ground breaking and acclaimed book Reinventing Australia written around 25 years ago Hugh Mackay has an incredible of way of putting into words the pulse of our country In the unprecedented challenge we have faced as a country in 2020 especially with the heightened health concerns of the impact of COVID 19 we have witnessed the best and worst of human behaviour Australia Reimagined towards a compassionate less anxious society is a book for our current times Hugh Mackay outlines how we as a country can become a compassionate less anxious society This is needed than ever today But our chief resource is not uniquely Australian at all it s our common humanity That s what will finally assert itself in response to further threats to our social cohesion that s what will pull us back from the brink of a mad world where we would put faith in devices and algorithms than each other that s what will ensure that the communities we rely on to sustain and nurture us and keep us sane will never fragment into meaninglessness Hugh MackayTelling words for 2020 when this book was written in 2018 two years before the current and pressing issues we face now My hope is from the current situation we find our ourselves in which is in many ways completely out of our control that we indeed would become a compassionate less anxious society That we would see our common humanity and reach out to our fellow humans who are doing it tough and who need our help and support After all we are all in this together Be The Change You Want to See In The World This week is Harmony Week Harmony Week celebrates Australia s cultural diversity It s about inclusiveness respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Whether through a cuppa a picnic in the park or a message of support Neighbour Day is the perfect opportunity to say thanks for being a great neighbour and for being there to lend a hand. The principal aim of Neighbour Day is to build better relationships with the people who live around us especially the elderly and vulnerable Neighbours are important because good relationships with others can transform communities Social connection also makes us feel better as it helps prevent loneliness isolation and depression. The theme for Neighbour Day 2020 is Social Connection Encouraging social connection is the essence of Neighbour Day every day During our 2020 campaign Neighbour Day will be actively encouraging Australians to realise the social emotional and mental benefits of connecting with others whether they are asylum seekers or our first people The real purpose of education is to teach children the knowledge and skills they need including numeracy and literacy to live the fullest most satisfying life they are capable of living intellectually creatively morally emotionally vocationally and socially H Mackay 2018 9781743534823 Hugh Mackay is a social researcher and novelist who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians He is the author of twelve books including five bestsellers The second edition of his latest non fiction book Advance Australia Where was published in September 2008 and his fifth novel Ways of Escape was published in May 2009. He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney s 2004 Alumni Award for community service In recognition of his pioneering work in social research Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt Macquarie and NSW universities. He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar Sc Hugh Mackay is a social researcher and novelist who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians He is the author of twelve books including five bestsellers The second edition of his latest non fiction book Advance Australia Where was published in September 2008 and his fifth novel Ways of Escape was published in May 2009. He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney s 2004 Alumni Award for community service In recognition of his pioneering work in social research Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt Macquarie and NSW universities. He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School and was the inaugural chairman of the ACT government s Community Inclusion Board He was a newspaper columnist for almost 30 years and now writes occasionally for The Sydney Morning Herald The Age and The West Australian He is a frequent guest on ABC radio Biography from Hugh Mackay s website site_link .

: His writing did have me questioning the admittedly left wing.

And joining and taking part in social groups, On the other hand he has not been afraid to call out hypocrisies and hubris around so called Aussie Values p287: Cultural diversity is one of the best things about Australia www: au On the last Sunday in March is Neighbour Day Neighbour Day is Australia s annual celebration of community encouraging people to connect with those who live in their neighbourhood.www.neighourday.harmony.gov