ABSTRACT

The Howard government’s constant mantra of ‘social cohesion’ concealed a highly divisive politics. Right from the start of Howard’s rise to power, the 1996 campaign slogan ‘For all of Us’ summed up this new brand of conservatism. Central to the postmodern conservative’s politics of anxiety is their perception of the real decline in social solidarity in Australian society. This is the social depth beneath the political, sometimes histrionic, surface. Sociologists have developed a term, ‘social capital’, to describe the degree of social solidarity and trust that makes cooperation possible between people in societies like Australia. According to American sociologist Robert Putnam, in his renowned book Bowling Alone, social capital is in decline in the United States. More and more people go bowling alone these days, whereas previously they would have joined a local club or gone with friends.