Superdiversity and the challenges of social cohesion in Aotearoa

The age profile and fertility of Māori and Pasifika communities combined with very high levels of inward immigration and net migration gains means that New Zealand Aotearoa is rapidly diversifying in terms of ethnic identities. These demographic changes, combined with some political anxiety and antagonism – mean that social cohesion is a serious challenge within and between communities. It coincides with declining trust in governments and professional expertise. 

Speaker
Paul Spoonley
Distinguished Professor Emeritus FRSNZ

Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University. Once he stepped down, he was appointed to advise the Police Commissioner (2022-25) and then as Co-Director of the National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism (2022-23).

He has led major research programmes on immigration, diversity and inter-group relations and been extensively involved in policy development and evaluation, both in New Zealand internationally. Paul is a Fellow of the Auckland Museum and a Board member and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany.

He was awarded the Science and Technology Medal by the Royal Society in 2009 for cross-cultural understanding and the following year, he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of California Berkeley.

He is the author or editor of 29 books, including The New New Zealand. Facing Demographic Disruption (2021).