Investigators interested in developing a general theory of social cohesion are confronted with a complex body of work that involves various definitions of social cohesion, specialized literatures on particular dimensions of social cohesion (e.g., membership turnover, organizational commitment, categorical identifications, interpersonal attachments, network structures), and lines of inquiry focused on the social cohesion of specific types of groups (e.g., families, schools, military units, and sports teams). This review addresses the problem of integrating the individual and group levels at which social cohesion has been defined. It also develops a perspective on social cohesion as a domain of causally interrelated phenomena concerned with individuals' membership attitudes and behaviors, in which the major dimensions of social cohesion occupy different theoretical positions with respect to one another as antecedent, intervening, or outcome variables.
Oversimplification of the concept of social cohesion as a singularly identifiable marker of social growth has lead to obscured understanding of the nuances necessary for achievement of the term's true potential. This book thus provides a critique of a popular concept and an example of engaged philosophical criticism of social research and policy.
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Australia's reputation as a successful large scale immigrant-receiving nation is well formed. In the latest wave, not only have millions of diverse people arrived in the post-war period from 1945 to a growing, high income, good employment economy; but the society absorbing them has remained stable and cohesive. This is not to say that it has been entirely plain sailing - sensitive debate, isolated interethnic violence, and the degree of migrant ghettoisation have been prominent, though varying in intensity over time. But overall, the planned program of immigration and settlement by Australia's governments over the years has been successful. This volume examines key elements of the means by which social cohesion can be constructively sought in Australia. With contributions from some of Australia's leading experts in this field, this book addresses the key concern: what are the threats to Australia's social cohesion and how can they be countered?
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In the last few years there has been a growing tendency on the part of some social sciences researchers to adopt a broad definition of diversity (including, for instance, not only cultural values, but also gender, age, socio-economic status, and sexual orientation) and to use this term as a synonym of "the other", the non-ego. This fact has been particularly helpful both from an epistemological and an educational point of view. The relationship with diversity is a basic and continuous aspect of human experience, as the self develops through its relations with others. Thus,the meaning and the "management" of diversity are closely associated with issues like social cohesion, social and political conflict, and social/educational interventions aiming to foster social cohesion. A positive and real social cohesion in an ingroup rests on the acknowledgment of and the dialogue with the diversities of the various members of the ingroup itself, which inevitably results in the ingroup members' becoming familiar with and getting used to diversity in general. This means that diversity relating to the outgroup and to the various members of the outgroup is understood and accepted, given that diversity among the members of the ingroup is also understood and accepted. This way, cross-cultural relations within an ingroup and between the ingroup and the outgroups are fostered. That is to say, social cohesion within the ingroup is automatically extended and generalized to the relations with outgroups, which contradicts some traditional assumptions in social psychology research according to which social cohesion in the ingroup is accompanied by its hostility toward the outgroup. It goes without saying that not all kinds of diversities should be accepted. All diversities should be analyzed and evaluated, which means that some diversities can be accepted, while others should be rejected (like, for example, the diversity of a Nazi). Indeed, social cohesion should be grounded in what we might define as a " well reasoned analysis of diversities". At the psychological level, human beings' education must be fundamentally based on the awareness that at any given time the self, far from being immutable, is an entity which needs to be understood and, in case, modified as a result both of the continuous contact with others, who are inevitably diverse, and of the analysis and understanding of this contact. One of the most significant results of a research study we conducted in Italian state schools on youths' (aged 15-19) attitudes toward multiculturalism with the use of focus groups was the realization that most of our participants have lost or have never even experienced a feeling of general social cohesion (at the level of the nation, home town, or community at large), this fact being especially related to their lost confidence on public institutions and especially on political institutions. Their view can be very synthetically summarized in some participants' phrases, like "the law is wrong, the whole system is wrong", "there is no control, no security service", "the Italian state is weak", "politicians are Mafiosi", "where is justice?", and "political parties are not reliable". Besides, our data indicate that not only participants' perception of social cohesion is nonexistent or is only very partially existent, but also social cohesion itself is actually non-existent or is only very partially existing, since a real social cohesion in a group implies on the part of the members of the group a good knowledge of the various aspects of the group itself. Instead, participants' views were often characterized by a certain degree of misinformation regarding significant aspects of present Italian social reality. Frequent examples of misinformation were, for instance, the sometimes contradictory beliefs that all Italians are unable to make both ends meet, that immigrants receive a lot of money from the Italian state when they arrive in Italy, that immigrants who commit a crime very easily get away with it while Italians are severely punished and are put in jail for less serious wrongs, and that jails are nice places to live in. Our participants' discussions also indicated that insecurity and lack of general social cohesion create fear and that fear can provoke aggression. Vehement exclamations against immigrants, who are frequently perceived as dangerous criminals, pronounced by some of these youths, like "Get back to your bloody country!" or "A curse on those that made you come here!" clearly express hate and resentment. In most cases during the focus groups these same participants expressed sincere interest and even empathy toward their immigrant classmates when they were telling the stories of their arrival in Italy and of their previous hard life in their countries of origin. This means that at school level or, at least, at class level, positive cross-cultural contact has been created and social cohesion has been built. This also means that in their work teachers should always provide concrete examples of social cohesion and, what is more, should try to enable their students to become aware of their contradictory views when dealing with the problems of immigrants in general and when dealing with the problems of their specific immigrant classmates. Finally, the adoption of a broad concept of diversity also on the part of teachers can boost their efforts to improve their pupils' cross-cultural relations, as teachers are aware that at the same time their efforts can also improve their pupils' relations with other kinds of diversities since from a psychological point of view the logical structure of that complex process which is constituted by the understanding of diversities is always the same.
Die Bertelsmann Stiftung führt seit 2012 das Projekt "Radar gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt" durch. Das Ziel besteht darin, die Güte gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts in verschiedenen Gemeinwesen zu erfassen. Die hier vorgelegte Studie erweitert den Erkenntnisstand durch eine Betrachtung der kommunalen Ebene. Hierzu wurden im Herbst 2015 2.605 repräsentativ ausgewählte Bremer* zu den Dimensionen des sozialen Zusammenhalts in 78 der insgesamt 88 Ortsteile Bremens befragt. Die Erhebung beinhaltet Fragen zu Bedingungen von Zusammenhalt, Fragen zu Auswirkungen von Zusammenhalt, Bremen-spezifische Fragen und Fragen zur aktuellen Flüchtlingssituation in Bremen.
Themen: Wohndauer im Ortsteil (Einzugsjahr); Zufriedenheit im Ortsteil; Verbundenheit mit der Stadt, dem Stadtteil, dem Ortsteil und der Nachbarschaft (geopolitische Identität); Umzugswunsch oder Zugehörigkeitsgefühl zum Ortsteil; subjektives Nachbarschaftskonzept; Wohnung: Wohnstatus; sozialer Wohnungsbau; Wohnungsgröße in qm; Anzahl der Wohnräume; Einschätzung der Miethöhe; soziales Netzwerk: Größe des Freundes- und Bekanntenkreises im Ortsteil; Häufigkeit privater Treffen mit Freunden, Verwandten und mit Arbeitskollegen; Häufigkeit zufälliger Treffen von Freunden auf der Straße; private Treffen mit Nachbarn; Vertrauen in Mitmenschen: allgemeines Personenvertrauen; Einschätzung Hilfsbereitschaft allgemein; Vertrauen in Fremde; Vertrauen auf Rückgabe einer in der Nachbarschaft verlorenen Geldbörse; Akzeptanz von Diversität: Ortsteil ein guter Ort für Kinder, Menschen mit anderem Tagesrhythmus, Ausländer, Migranten, Homosexuelle, Menschen anderer Hautfarbe, Flüchtlinge; Zuwanderer bereichern kulturelles Leben in Deutschland; Zufriedenheit mit der Zusammensetzung der Nachbarschaft; Zufriedenheit mit den Nachbarschaftsaktivitäten im Ortsteil; Zufriedenheit mit den Bemühungen der Lokalpolitiker um die Nachbarschaft; Institutionenvertrauen: Vertrauen in Parteien vor Ort bzw. auf Bundesebene, Justiz und Stadtverwaltung; Gerechtigkeitsempfinden: gerechter Anteil am Lebensstandard; Infrastruktur im Ortsteil: Ausstattung des Ortsteils mit Tagesstätten für Senioren, öffentlichen Grünanlagen sowie Sport- oder Freizeitanlagen im Vergleich zu anderen Ortsteilen; Investitionen in Straßeninstandhaltung im Vergleich zu anderen Ortsteilen; Stadt kümmert sich nicht genug um den Ortsteil; Solidarität und Hilfsbereitschaft: persönliche Hilfsbereitschaft gegenüber Unbekannten; Häufigkeit persönlicher Hilfsbereitschaft allgemein sowie in der Nachbarschaft; Häufigkeit des Verleihens an Nachbarn; Einschätzung der Hilfsbereitschaft im Ortsteil allgemein; Einverständnis mit der Unterbringung von Flüchtlingen im Ortsteil; Verantwortung der Stadt Bremen für Flüchtlinge; Befragter bietet selbst Hilfe für Flüchtlinge an; Anerkennung sozialer Regeln: verschiedene Probleme im Ortsteil (z.B. Hundekot auf der Straße, Falschparker, etc.); Sicherheitsgefühl nachts in der Umgebung und in der Wohngegend; Kriminalität im Ortsteil; gesellschaftliche Teilhabe: Politikinteresse; Interesse an Lokalpolitik; persönlicher Einsatz für die Wohngegend; Art des politischen Engagements in den letzten zwölf Monaten (z.B. Übernahme eines politischen Amts, Beteiligung an einer Demonstration, etc.); Beurteilung der Flüchtlingssituation in Bremen; Häufigkeit der Internetnutzung für private Zwecke; Anzahl der Bücher im Haushalt; Selbsteinschätzung der Religiosität; persönliche Werte (neue Ideen entwickeln, Reichtum, Sicherheit, Amüsieren, Gutes tun, Erfolg, Risikofreude, Richtiges tun, Umwelt, Traditionen); allgemeines Glücksgefühl; allgemeine Lebenszufriedenheit;; Zustimmung zu verschiedenen Aussagen (eigenes Leben kommt dem Ideal nahe, Lebensbedingungen sind hervorragend, zufrieden mit dem Leben, bisher die wichtigsten vom Leben gewünschten Dinge bekommen, würde fast nichts ändern, falls ich mein Leben noch einmal leben könnte); Selbsteinschätzung Gesundheitszustand allgemein; Beeinträchtigung beim Treppensteigen durch den Gesundheitszustand; chronische Krankheiten.
Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter (Geburtsjahr, Geburtsmonat); Alter gruppiert; Anzahl der Festnetznummern im Haushalt; Haushaltsgröße; Anzahl der Kinder im Haushalt; Familienstand; Erwerbstätigkeit; Gruppenzugehörigkeit wenn nicht vollzeit- oder teilzeiterwerbstätig; höchster beruflicher Bildungsabschluss; Bezug von Sozialhilfe; Haushaltsnettoeinkommen; Staatsbürgerschaft; Geburt des Befragten und seiner Eltern in Deutschland (Migrationshintergrund); zu Hause gesprochene Sprache.
Zusätzlich verkodet wurde: Befragten-ID; Straße genannt; Ortsteil genannt; Eintrag im Telefonnummernverzeichnis; Gewichtungsfaktor; Gesamtheit der Probleme im Ortsteil; Gesamtheit des politischen Engagements; Nachbarschaft: nur eigenes Haus, unmittelbare Nachbar-Häuser, Häuser in eigener Straße, Häuser in weiteren Straßen; abgeleitete Variablen.
In: Regions & cohesion: Regiones y cohesión = Régions et cohésion : the journal of the Consortium for Comparative Research on Regional Integration and Social Cohesion, Band 4, Heft 1, S. 29-52
This contribution analyzes whether the transboundary use of mineral resources by Canadian companies contributes to local and regional cohesion. The analysis is based on documental reviews, a field visit, and conversations with stakeholders of Canadian mining projects in Mexico. The results strongly suggest that, despite the bene fits that are advertised in the discourses of the Canadian and Mexican governments, this economic relationship is not fostering social cohesion as would be expected. Rather than helping dispossessed sectors of Mexican society satisfy their basic needs, the lack of social responsibility on the part of national governments and some transnational mining companies is generating numerous environmental and social impacts and is resulting in violations of human and indigenous people's rights. This situation, however, is fostering social cohesion through shared values among dispossessed communities in Mexico, and between them and various civic, human rights, and environmental organizations in Canada. Spanish Esta contribución analiza de qué forma el desarrollo de recursos mineros en México por empresas canadienses influye en la cohesión social local y regionalmente. El análisis se basa en revisión documental, visitas de campo y conversaciones con informantes clave. Los resultados fuertemente sugieren que esta relación comercial no está contribuyendo a mejorar la cohesión social como sería de esperarse si la minería contribuyera al desarrollo sustentable según lo promocionan los gobiernos de México y Canadá. En vez de contribuir a reducir la pobreza, se han generado diversos impactos sociales y ambientales debido a la falta de responsabilidad social que prevalece en el sector minero. Estos incluyen violaciones de derechos humanos y gentes indígenas. Sin embargo, estas consecuencias negativas están favoreciendo la cohesión social entre las comunidades afectadas por la minería en México y las organizaciones civiles en Canadá que están ejerciendo presión en Canadá para que haya cambios en el sistema político y legal para asegurar que las empresas canadienses operen de manera social y ambientalmente responsable. French Ce e contribution entend voir de quelle manière l'utilisation transfrontalière des ressources minérales par des entreprises canadiennes contribuent à la cohésion locale et régionale. L'analyse se fonde sur l'examen des documents, une visite sur le terrain, et les interviews menées avec les parties prenantes des projets miniers canadiens au Mexique. Les résultats suggèrent fortement que, malgré les avantages formulés dans le discours des gouvernements canadien et mexicain, ce e relation économique ne conduit pas à la cohésion sociale comme on pourrait s'y attendre. Plutôt que d'aider les secteurs déshérités de la société mexicaine à satisfaire leurs besoins de base, le manque de responsabilité sociale de la part des deux gouvernements nationaux et certaines entreprises minières transnationales produit de nombreux impacts environnementaux et sociaux qui se traduisent par des violations des droits de l'homme des peuples indigènes. Ce e situation, cependant, favorise la cohésion sociale à travers des valeurs partagées entre les communautés dépossédées au Mexique, et entre eux et diff érentes organisations civiles défenseurs des droits de l'homme et environnementaux au Canada.
Improving EU and US Immigration Systems' Capacity for Responding to Global Challenges: Learning from Experiences ; Recent decades saw increasing levels of immigration to European countries. This has lead to a more diverse population in Europe, and often this increased diversity is seen as a challenge to social cohesion. At the beginning of the 21st century, the political rhetoric has become harsher, with immigration, Islam, and security increasingly mentioned in one breath. Economic pressures because of global recession are similar in most European countries, leading to lower levels of economic integration, and thus may affect social cohesion. The article presents a number of reasons why reactions differ across Europe. Reasons include the ability of immigrants to adjust the recession, or different historical legacies of immigration. Moreover, the role of the welfare state in issues of immigration and social cohesion is highlighted. The welfare state plays an important role in cultural and social integration – which can differ significantly from economic integration – and can explain why social cohesion and the state of the economy are not directly linked. In European countries, the welfare state to some degree counters purely economic trends. Additionally, the article argues that stricter immigration policies tend not to affect areas directly relevant to social integration and social cohesion, where there are possibly no real alternatives to encouraging integration. Yet, the perception in society that social cohesion is under threat can lead to hostile reactions, but this is not necessarily the case. The political system and historical differences play a crucial role in how issues of immigration are politicized in times of economic crisis.