About

The Cultural Atlas

The Cultural Atlas is a collaborative project between Mosaica, SBS, and Multicultural NSW. Created in 2016, it aims to inform and educate the public in cross-cultural attitudes, practices, norms, behaviours and communication. These cultural observations are contextualised with up-to-date statistics about Australia’s migrant populations and information on their trends of arrival and settlement. The goal is to enhance social cohesion in Australia and improve outcomes for individuals and organisations operating in an increasingly culturally diverse society.

All published content in the Cultural Atlas is the result of a collective effort between researchers, editors and members of the Australian community who have cross-cultural identities or familiarities. We would particularly like to acknowledge the contributions of many members of Australia's multicultural communities, who took the time and effort to provide relevant information about their cultures. You can read more about our research process and see a list of our collaborators.

The Purpose of Cultural Profiles

The Cultural Atlas provides a unique opportunity for users to gain a broad understanding of the norms and behaviours that are generally familiar to people from the culture of description. At a personal level, we hope the Cultural Atlas offers its users the chance to inform their judgements of cross-cultural experiences with a deeper understanding.

However, please remember that cultural descriptions cannot be universally applied to all individuals within a particular culture. The purpose of this information is to offer insight into the kind of cultural and social environment a first-generation migrant is likely to be familiar with, rather than to describe the individual. Cultural profiles should not be relied upon to form expectations or stereotypes of an individual’s behaviour based on their place of origin.

Be aware that descriptions of dominant cultures are not representative of all individuals’ experiences. While the Cultural Atlas provides descriptions of dominant cultural practices and norms, every society contains many microcultures that may differ from the cultural mainstream in identifying characteristics. People’s experience within a culture may also vary on a personal basis, depending on one’s age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality or other factors.

It is also important to recognise that conceptualisations of culture shift over time, and migrants who have lived in Australia for extended periods may perceive their culture and society of origin differently from those currently living there. These understandings can be influenced by factors such as a person’s age at migration, year of arrival, how often they have returned, level of acculturation, and other personal experiences. Likewise, as traditions evolve with each generation, many cultural descriptions may be less applicable to second-generation migrants.

EXPLORE CULTURAL PROFILES

Determining Culture and Identity

National Culture

The Cultural Atlas attributes cultural profiles to each migrant population identified by the Australian Government’s records. This government data on the overseas-born population generally categorises people by country of birth. Using national cultures as a general framework ensures consistency and provides contextual and historical reference points across the Cultural Atlas profiles.

We recognise and respect that cultures are not confined by national borders, nor are they homogeneous within them. While people may share a country of birth, their cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences may vary significantly.

Exceptions

There are circumstances in which the Australian Government has apportioned a separate migrant population data set to a region that is not internationally recognised as a sovereign nation-state (e.g. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Palestinian Territories). Such cultural profiles have been provided as separate entities in accordance with standard migration research and corresponding academic practice.

Cultural Minorities

We acknowledge that many people from minority groups define their cultural identity through ethnic, religious, linguistic, or social affiliations and may feel misrepresented by definitions based solely on national culture or nationality. While it is beyond the scope of the Cultural Atlas to provide dedicated profiles for every minority identity, we recognise these diverse and legitimate positions and seek to acknowledge their presence and self-determination where they occur.

Representing Opinions and Positions

The Cultural Atlas aims to provide practical, relevant guidance for sensitively engaging with diverse migrant communities. In doing so, it may present the social or political perspectives of a particular group(s) to support understanding of cultural viewpoints. In some instances, these perspectives or positions may contrast with or challenge those of other cultural groups.

Any political opinions presented in the profiles reflect views expressed by migrant community groups in research and consultation. They have been included to ensure accurate representation of their perspectives and do not represent the positions of the Cultural Atlas, SBS, Mosaica or Multicultural NSW.

An Australian Context

The Cultural Atlas has been designed for an Australian audience, with much of its content developed through engagement with community members and researchers based in Australia. While the information aims to be broadly relevant and applicable, some content may reflect an Australian context. In particular, certain descriptions of verbal and non-verbal communication draw on Australian norms to explain cultural differences in communication styles. This is not intended to position Australian culture as an ideal standard, nor to suggest it serves as a measure against which other cultures should be judged.

READ THE AUSTRALIAN CULTURAL PROFILE

A Migrant Context

The Cultural Atlas aims to enhance social cohesion within the Australian context. Consequently, its information is concentrated on migrant communities that Australians are statistically most likely to encounter. This focus often includes groups with greater access to Australian migration pathways, commonly linked to particular social or economic circumstances.

In some cases, the demographics of migrants in Australia differ from those in their country of origin. For example, a larger proportion of the diaspora may follow a minority religion. The Cultural Atlas may highlight such groups to reflect the backgrounds commonly represented within Australia’s migrant communities. This focus is not intended to exaggerate the importance of any group or assign greater value to one group over another.

The Mosaica Team

Research Team

Nina Evason

Nina Evason is an experienced cross-cultural researcher and specialist dedicated to promoting migrant inclusion and strengthening community understanding of diverse cultures, identities, and experiences. She has specialised expertise in multicultural affairs, having collaborated with and consulted over 40 migrant communities across Australia. Nina led the design and development of the Cultural Atlas and has more than ten years of experience creating educational resources that foster inclusivity and cross-cultural learning.

Nina is the Chief Editor of Mosaica’s migrant and refugee health profile directory and was also involved in editing and developing SBS’s Cultural Competence Program and the Inclusion Program courses. She holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies and Public Policy (Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence) and is a qualified ESL Language Instructor (Cambridge CELTA).

Chara Scroope

Chara Scroope is a specialist in cultural and religious diversity. Joining the team in 2016, she has since made significant contributions to content development through her expertise in Asian history, culture, language, philosophy and religion. Chara is a co-author of the Cultural Atlas and a Chief Editor leading the research and development of religious and cultural profiles at Mosaica. She has over nine years of experience in qualitative research, including interviewing and participant observations.

Chara graduated from the University of Queensland as Valedictorian with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Social Science (2018), and a Master of Philosophy (2024). Alongside currently undertaking doctoral research, Chara is a sessional academic at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Queensland.

Operations Team

Luke Latimer, Kyle Annett, Chris Arnold, Leah Habib, Navneet Kaur, Maddie Drewery, Michael Pepping