The Effect of Acculturation on Citizens' Attitudes Toward Australia and Indonesia

Studies have consistently indicated that there is gap between Indonesians and Australians’ attitudes toward each other. Indonesians were overwhelmingly positive toward Australia while Australians were less positive toward Indonesia (Australian-Indonesia Center 2016). Hence, there is a need to investigate the discrepancies of attitudes between the two nations. This study will focus on ‘culture and identity’ theme which is organised around three objectives: (1) To compare and contrast of attitude and perceptions toward Australia and Indonesia between migrants, expats and citizens of both countries. Through cross-cultural comparison, we will able to examine the impact of acculturation on individuals’ attitude and perceptions toward both their home and host country. People who have been living in both countries will have a different perspective compare to citizens who rely on media; (2) To explore the role of social media in influencing citizens’ attitude toward Australia and Indonesia. Communication is an important feature in intercultural process. A report suggests that 66% of social media users used the site for news (Pew Research Center 2016). Indonesia is fourth largest users of Facebook with 77 million active users (Statista 2016) compared to 15 million in Australia. (3) To create an effective campaign to bridge the gap of attitudes between Australians and Indonesians. Portraying a clear and authentic image of both countries through the lenses of individuals who have been living in both countries will reduce the gap of attitude and perception toward Australia and Indonesia.