Socioeconomic Differences between Blacktown and Parramatta suburbs in Sydney

This project analyzes the socioeconomic differences between Blacktown and Parramatta suburbs in Sydney based on the 2016 Census data. It identifies reasons for the differences using academic sources and lectures from the course.

102170 People Place and Social Difference
PEOPLE, PLACE AND SOCIAL DIFFERENCE (102170) PROJECT 1 TEMPLATE
This project is made up of three (3) parts, plus a reference list and appendix. Marks are allocated for
each section, as follows:
 Part I: Identify two (2) Sydney suburbs and the regions that they are located
– 1 mark
 Part II: Description of socio-economic differences (250 words) – 4 marks
 Part III: Explanation of reasons for socio-economic differences (500 words) – 10 marks
 Reference list: A list of the academic sources cited in Part 3 – 2 marks
 Appendix: ABS Quick Stats Suburb Comparison Tables, 2016 Census – 3 marks
Please ensure that you provide your answers in this template, and provide a Reference list and
Appendix as requested.
PART I: Choose two Sydney suburbs that are located in different geographical regions of
Sydney. For example, Penrith (in Outer Western Sydney) and Manly (in Northern Sydney).
(1 mark; 0 marks for any incorrect response)
1. What is the name of the first suburb you have chosen?
2. Use the Map of Sydney Regions to identify the region of Sydney (in the Project 1 folder on
vUWS) to name the geographic region of Sydney in which this suburb is located
e.g. ‘Outer Western Sydney’
3. What is the name of the second suburb you have chosen?
 Your comparison suburb MUST be located in a different region to the region the first suburb
you have chosen is located in. For example, if the first suburb you have chosen is Penrith (in
Outer Western Sydney), you might choose to compare it to Manly (in the Northern Beaches).
You cannot choose Mount Druitt, which is another suburb located in Outer Western Sydney.
4. Use the Map of Sydney Regions to identify the region of Sydney (in the Project 1 folder on
vUWS) to name the geographic region of Sydney in which this suburb is located. e.g.
‘Northern Beaches’
 Again, your comparison suburb MUST be located in a different region to the region the first
suburb you have chosen is located in. For example, if the first suburb you have chosen is
Penrith (in Outer Western Sydney), you might choose to compare it to Manly (in the Northern
Beaches). You cannot choose Mount Druitt, which is another suburb located in Outer Western
Sydney.

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Blacktown
Greater Western Sydney
Parramatta
Greater Western Sydney

102170 People Place and Social Difference
PART II: DESCRIPTION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES (250 words – 4 marks in total; 1
mark for each of the four questions below)
1. Locate the ABS QuickStats Comparison Tables at the end of this template (in the Appendix)
2. Fill in the data for the two Sydney suburbs you have chosen
Note: The step-by-step guide to downloading this data and completing these tables is included before
the tables in the Appendix. We covered the skills needed to complete these tables in the Week 1
homework activity.
3. Using the ABS data, describe four (4) of the main socio-economic differences between the
two Sydney Suburbs you have chosen. To do this you will need to look carefully at the
comparison tables you have completed.
1. As per the Census 2016 data, median weekly income of people of Parramatta was much
lower as compared to median income of people of Blacktown. As per the data in Table 10 in
Appendix it can be said that personal weekly income of people of Parramatta was $586,
whereas personal weekly income of people in Blacktown was $672. Not only this overall
household and family income of people in Parramatta was also comparatively lower as
compared to household and family income in Blacktown according to table 10 in Appendix.
2. As per the Census 2016 data in Table 7 in Appendix, people who worked full time in
Blacktown were 62.7% Whereas people who worked full time in Parramatta were 59.9% only
which is comparatively less as compared to Blacktown. Other than this, as per table 7, number
of people who do not work (unemployed and away from work together) in Blacktown are 12%
only whereas in Parramatta its 11% which is comparatively higher as compared to Blacktown.
3. As per the Census 2016 data in table 11 in Appendix it can be clearly said that income level of
household in Blacktown is much better than household income in Parramatta because
household with less than $650 gross weekly income are 15.3% in Blacktown, Whereas in
Parramatta this percentage is 18.9%. Other than this, household with more than $3,000 gross
weekly income in Parramatta was 16.3% only while in Blacktown it is 18.2%.
4. From the table 8 in Appendix, it can be said that, percentage of people who work more than 35
hours a week in Blacktown are 67.6% (25.9+41.7%) Whereas percentage of people who work
more than 35 hours a week in Parramatta are 65.3% (23.6+41.7%) which is comparatively
lower as compared to Blacktown.
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
PART III: EXPLANATION OF REASONS FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES
(500 words - 10 marks)
Use at least two (2) academic sources (i.e. journal articles, books chapters or books), and the
lectures from this unit, to explain some of the main reasons for the socio-economic differences
you have identified between your comparison suburbs in Part II.
Note: The academic sources you use MUST come from the weekly readings for Weeks 2-3 OR the
Project 1 reading list (see below). All of these readings can be downloaded using the links provided in
the ’Readings and Resources’ link on vUWS. Your response to Part III MUST be based on ideas from
the lectures and academic texts listed above. They MUST NOT be based upon personal opinion.
Please ensure that you provide in-text citations using Western Sydney University’s Harvard Referencing
Style (http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/sites/default/files/cite_Harvard.pdf). We will cover
referencing in the Week 2 Lecture Pod Academic referencing and writing.
Type your response below this line
There are various kinds of reason because of which socioeconomic difference in Blacktown and
Parramatta is present. As per the study of Wiesel, (2018) it was identified that income of people in
Blacktown is higher as compared to Parramatta because in Blacktown people tend to work for more
than 35 hours a week. However even in Parramatta people tend to work more than 35 hours a week but
this percentage is less as compared to of Blacktown. Researcher explains that in most of the countries
people are paid according to working hours. People whose main aim is to fulfil needs and requirement
of their and of their families and do not have any career aim or objective prefer working for less required
working hours but people with a certain ambition readily work for longer time duration in fact sometimes
agree to work on weekends as well. Due to this many times number of working hours directly impact
weekly income of people. It is one of the reason because of which weekly income of people of
Backdown is higher than of people of Parramatta
According to Kucel & et. al 2016). it has further explained that another reason because of which
this socioeconomic difference in Blacktown and Parramatta is present is because of difference in
language. Today English is considered to be second most commonly spoken and important language in
world. Even in corporate organizations prefer employees who have fluent English and promote or
choose employees to represent organization who have command on English. As per the data in
Appendix in Blacktown Approximately 53.5% percent people Speak English at home whereas in
Parramatta only 34.8% people speak English at home. Researcher explains that people who speak
English at home have much better command over English as compared to people who do not speak
English at Home. Researcher further explains that people who do not have command over required
language do not prefer to work overtime. This can be used to explain that people in Blacktown work
more hours a week as compared to Parramatta and due to this, weekly income of individuals in
Blacktown is slightly higher than weekly income of people in Parramatta.
This study clearly helps in understanding Important reason because of which socioeconomic
difference in Blacktown and Parramatta is present. If this data is compared to comparison suburbs in
Part II then it can be said that in Blacktown readily work longer hours, have command over English in
better manner as compared to people of Parramatta. But data collected in Part 2 also explains that
there is not much s which socioeconomic difference in Blacktown and Parramatta or it can also be said
that this difference is not present in large scale but however there is slight difference that can be clearly
explained with the help of secondary data collected above.
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
Reference List (2 marks)
Include a reference list using Western Sydney University’s Harvard Referencing Style
(https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/sites/default/files/cite_Harvard.pdf). This should only contain
sources that you have cited in the body of your work.
We will cover referencing skills in the Week 2 Lecture Pod Academic referencing and writing.
Write your reference list below this line
2016 Census Blacktown. 2020. [Online]. Available Through:<
https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/
quickstat/116>
2016 Census Parramatta. 2020. [Online]. Available Through:<
https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/
quickstat/125>
Kucel, A., & et. al N. (2016). Entrepreneurial skills and education‐job matching of higher education
graduates. European Journal of Education, 51(1). 73-89.
Wiesel, I., 2018. Power, Glamour and Angst: Inside Australia's Elite Neighbourhoods. Springer.
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
Appendix – ABS QuickStat Suburb Comparison Tables, 2016 Census
(3 Marks)
Part II of Project 1 requires you to download and enter ABS QuickStats data into the comparison tables
presented in this document. Please see below for step-by-step instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Completing the Comparison Tables
Step One – Download the data you need from the ABS QuickStats website by following these steps:
 Click on the link http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/Census
 If the link does not work, copy and paste the link into your web browser.
 The link will take you to the ABS Census home page.
 Find the ‘QuickStats Search’ box listed under ‘Data by Geographies’.
 Type the name of the first suburb you have chosen in the search box under ‘Search
QuickStats’.
 You will need to choose a statistical level from a list of options. These options will be
automatically generated once you enter the suburb name. Please select ‘State Suburb
(SSC)’. For example, if your suburb is Blacktown, the correct option to choose is: ‘Blacktown,
NSW State Suburb (SSC)’,
 Make sure 2016 census data is selected (the last Australian census was conducted in 2016,
and the next will take place in 2021) and click on ‘go’.
 QuickStats data for your suburb will then be generated.
 Repeat the process for your comparison suburb. Remember that the comparison suburb is to
be selected from a Sydney region that is different to the region in which the first suburb you
have chosen is located.
Step Two – Enter the ABS QuickStats data for the two suburbs you have chosen into the tables below,
noting:
 You will need to manually enter the data in the tables.
 Please note that you WON’T need to enter all the data generated by the ABS website, only the
data for the tables below.
Step Three – Use the Comparison Tables to complete Part III of the project
Step Four – Include these completed tables as an Appendix to your completed Project
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
ABS QuickStat Suburb Comparison Tables, 2016 Census
Table 1: QuickStats Summary Statistics, 2016 Census (ABS)
Summary Statistics Blacktown Parramatta
Number (n) Number (n)
People 339,637 448,391
Male 168,934 227,574
Female 170,700 220,818
Median age 33 33
Families 28,208 113,069
Average children per family (for families with
children) 1.9 1.9
Average children per family (for families) 1.1 0.9
Private dwellings 111,694 158,699
Average people per household 3.2 3
Median weekly household income $1,712 $1,520
Median monthly mortgage repayments $2,150 $2,037
Median weekly rent $380 $410
Average motor vehicles per dwelling 1.8 1.6
PEOPLE — DEMOGRAPHICS AND EDUCATION
Table 2: Level of highest educational attainment, 2016 Census (ABS)
Type of Education Institution Blacktown Parramatta
Percentage % Percentage %
Bachelor Degree level and above 22.1% 27.5%
Advanced Diploma and Diploma 8.8% 8.8%
Certificate level IV 2.8% 1.9%
Certificate level III 10.8% 7.8%
Year 12 18.0% 19.3%
Year 11 3.9% 3.0%
Year 10 12.1% 8.8%
Certificate level II 0.1% 0.1%
Certificate level I 0% 0%
Year 9 or below 8.7% 7.9%
No educational attainment 1.0% 2.4%
Not stated 8.7% 9.6%
PEOPLE — CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE DIVERSITY
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
Table 3: Country of birth, 2016 Census (ABS)
Blacktown Parramatta
Country Percentage % Country Percentage %
Australia 54.0% Australia 43.6%
Other Top Responses Other Top Responses
1 England 1.6% India 8.2%
2 New Zealand 2.4% China (excludes SARs and
Taiwan)
7.4%
3 India 7.8% Lebanon 3.4%
4 Philippines 6.5% Korea, Republic of (South) 2.5%
5 Fiji 2.1% Vietnam 2.3%
Table 4: Birthplace of parents, stated responses, 2016 Census (ABS)
Birthplace of parents Blacktown Parramatta
Percentage % Percentage %
Both parents born overseas 56.3% 67.9%
Father only born overseas 5.3% 4.8%
Mother only born overseas 3.7% 3.1%
Both parents born in Australia 28.8% 17.4%
Table 5: Religious Affiliation, 2016 Census (ABS)
Blacktown Parramatta
Religion Percentage % Religion Percentage %
1 No Religion, so
described
15.0% No Religion, so
described
17.8%
2 Catholic 29.1% Catholic 22.7%
3 Anglican 10.6% Islam 14.4%
4 Hinduism 8.7% Hinduism 10.2%
5 Not stated 7.6% Not stated 9.1%
Table 6: Language, top responses (other than English), 2016 Census (ABS)
Blacktown Parramatta
Language Percentage % Language Percentage %
1 Hindi 4.0% Arabic 10.5%
2 Tagalog 4.0% Mandarin 7.3%
3 Punjabi 3.6% Cantonese 5.1%
4 Arabic 3.0% Korean 3.2%
5 Filipino 1.9% Hindi 2.8%
English only spoken at home 53.5% English only spoken at home 34.8%
Households where a non-
English language is spoken
46.0% Households where a non-
English language is spoken
61.0%
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
PEOPLE – EMPLOYMENT
Table 7: Employment status, 2016 Census (ABS)
Employment Status Blacktown Parramatta
Percentage % Percentage %
Worked full-time 62.7% 59.9%
Worked part-time 25.3% 27.1%
Away from work 4.7% 4.7%
Unemployed 7.3% 8.3%
Table 8: Employment – hours worked, 2016 Census (ABS)
Hours Worked Blacktown Parramatta
Percentage % Percentage %
1-15 hours per week 8.7% 9.5%
16-24 hours per week 9.0% 10.7%
25-34 hours per week 9.5% 9.3%
35-39 hours per week 25.9% 23.6%
40 hours or more per week 41.7% 41.7%
Table 9: Occupation, 2016 Census (ABS)
Blacktown Parramatta
Occupation Percentage % Occupation Percentage %
1 Clerical and Administrative
Workers
16.4% Professionals 24.4%
2 Technicians and Trades
Workers
12.6% Managers 10.6%
3 Professionals 19.1% Clerical and Administrative
Workers
14.9%
4 Community and Personal
Service Workers
9.9% Sales Workers 8.9%
5 Sales Workers 9.2% Community and Personal
Service Workers
9.1%
6 Managers 9.6% Technicians and Trades
Workers
13.1%
7 Labourers 10.1% Labourers 9.6%
8 Machinery Operators and
Drivers
10.9% Machinery Operators and
Drivers
7.0%
Table 10: Median weekly incomes, 2016 Census (ABS)
Income Category Blacktown Parramatta
Amount ($) Amount ($)
Personal 672 586
Family 1,818 1,780
Household 1,712 14,86
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
DWELLINGS — HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION
Table 11: Household income, 2016 Census (ABS)
Household Income Blacktown Parramatta
Percentage % Percentage %
Less than $650 gross weekly income 15.3% 18.9%
More than $3,000 gross weekly income 18.2% 16.3%
DWELLINGS — MORTGAGE & RENT
Table 12: Rent weekly payments, 2016 Census (ABS)
Rent Weekly Payments Blacktown Parramatta
Amount ($) Amount ($)
Median rent 380 410
Percentage (%) Percentage (%)
Households where rent payments are less than
30% of household income
87.8% 82.7%
Households with rent payments greater than or
equal to 30% of household income
12.2% 17.3%
Table 13: Mortgage monthly repayments, 2016 Census (ABS)
Monthly Mortgage Payments Blacktown Parramatta
Amount ($) Amount ($)
Median mortgage repayments 2,150 2,037
Percentage (%) Percentage (%)
Households where mortgage repayments are
less than 30% of household income
89.6% 91.0%
Households with mortgage repayments greater
than or equal to 30% of household income
10.4% 9.0%
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102170 People Place and Social Difference
Project 1 Completion Checklist
When you think that you have completed Project 1, use this checklist to ensure that you have included
all of the key components of this assessment.
Completion Checklist
□ Did you read the Project 1 Marking Criteria to ensure you know what you need to do in each part of
obtain a maximum grade?
□ Part I – Did you provide answers for all four (4) questions?
□ Part II – Did you provide a comprehensive description of four (4) of the main socio-economic
differences between your comparison suburbs?
□ Part III – Did you demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the reasons for the socio-economic
differences between your comparison suburbs using academic literature (books, journal articles and
books) and the lectures from Module 1?
□ Part III – Did you use at least two (2) journal articles, book chapters or books from the list of
suggested readings for Project 1 AND/OR Week 2 & 3 readings?
□ Part III – Are your in-text citations correctly formatted using Western Sydney University’s Harvard
Referencing Guidelines?
□ References – Have you included a reference list correctly formatted using Western Sydney
University’s Harvard Style Referencing Guidelines?
□ Appendix – Have you included your ABS QuickStat Comparison Tables as an appendix item?
If you have successfully completed all of these steps, CONGRATULATIONS on completing the
first project for People, Place and Social Difference!
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