Hugh Mackay on why we should get to know our neighbours

Hugh Mackay is one of Australia’s most esteemed social researchers with a career spanning 60 years and 19 books under his belt.

In his new release, Australia Reimagined: Towards a More Compassionate, Less Anxious Society, Hugh says that despite 26 years of economic growth, Australia is more socially fragmented than ever with income inequality increasing and high levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Despite all this, Hugh, who is launching Council’s new forum Big Ideas on Wednesday 6 March, remains optimistic about the future. We sat down to ask him why it’s about time we started to get to know our neighbours…

There are many great things about Australia but we are currently experiencing big changes to the way we live which are a huge threat to our social cohesion. We’re seeing household sizes shrinking with a rise in the number of people living alone, sustained marriage breakdowns, a falling birth rate, increased mobility (we’re moving house on average once every six years) as well as an increasing reliance on technology at the expense of face to face contact.

Many of us are stressed by trying to keep up with these changes and a big consequence is anxiety and depression, often associated with social isolation. But social isolation is bad for us in other ways as well: isolated people are more likely to suffer negative effects to our immune systems, inflammation, cognitive decline, hypertension and sleep disorders.

Human beings are social beings who need each other- we’re hopeless in isolation. When we realise we’re part of the human species and work together, that’s when our communities flourish.

We are experiencing quite radical changes in our Australian way of life and this is creating a real problem for the stability and cohesiveness of our local communities. One alarming symptom of this is not only people who say “We don’t know our neighbours” but those who are now saying, “We have no interest in getting to know our neighbours”.

This is deeply disturbing. While we are all unique individuals, of course, and many of us value our privacy and solitude, we have a responsibility as citizens to be good neighbours and build stronger communities.  

In fact, I believe the best measure of the health of any society is the health of its local neighbourhoods. We must learn to cooperate and treat others with respect and compassion, even when we might not like each other much, and might not agree about lots of things. Neighbours don’t have to be friends, but they do need to act like neighbours.

Of course! I remain enormously optimistic for the future especially when you look at the rising generation of young adults. The so-called Millennials are given a hard time in the media but I believe they are more compassionate – and more inclined to be co-operative - than generations before them.

They are a generation that is always asking “what else is there?” because their formative years have taught them to expect constant change and to be ready for anything.  I believe they are better prepared than most generations for our unpredictable and uncertain future.

It all starts in our streets. It’s as simple as you getting to know your neighbours or joining a local club or community garden. When someone else is sitting at the bus stop, don’t ignore them, smile and say hello! This small acknowledgement might come at a time when they really need it.

If you’re more engaged with your neighbours, your street will become a better place to live in. We need to realise that, in many ways, our own health depends on the health of the communities we belong to.

Come see Hugh at our first Big Ideas forum on Wednesday 6 March at Glen Street Theatre.