Social cohesion is a paradigm dating back to the 19th century when Émile Durkheim, Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer studied social unity. In the South American region, Uruguayan sociologist José Pedro Varela and Venezuelan educator Simón Rodríguez are some historical references. Concerned about the inequality of the time, they sought to promote social integration in their writings.
Social cohesion has since become both an indicator of a society’s well being and a tool toward improving that society. Given many of Latin America’s social problems, a deeper understanding of social cohesion could shed light not only on their causes but also potential solutions.
Public Issues among Countries in Latin America
Poverty, of course, is among the most salient of the region’s problems. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), recorded a slight decrease in poverty among countries in the region from 2001 to 2014. However, a slight rise with some stagnation soon followed from 2015-2020. 35.8% of the population lived in poverty in 2006. By 2020, that figure became 33%. Essentially, every step forward was also a step backward.
Poverty marginalizes many from the fruits of economic growth. This exclusionary development makes social cohesion difficult. It creates a society of haves and have nots. Among the excluded, it also creates feelings of discomfort toward the environment.
Despite some progress, ECLAC estimates the region’s income distribution is among the worst in the world, with a tendency towards extreme concentration. In 2018, 24.2% of people in Latin America and the Caribbean earned less than US$5.5 per day, while 4.4% subsisted on US$1.90 per day. According to a World Bank ranking of countries by GINI index (a measure of income inequality), eight Latin American nations ranked among the top twenty.
What is Social Cohesion?
The term “social cohesion,” often brings to mind a harmonious relationship among people including social integration and a sense of belonging. However, issues such as economic volatility, widening social gaps, the need for democratic governance, and labor crises can bring about other forms of union. For instance, social exclusion can lead to increased integration of criminal gangs.
According to the OECD, a society can be considered more socially cohesive when its members work toward the wellbeing of others and make efforts toward reducing social inequalities. In that sense, a socially cohesive society is more self-regulating and sustainable.
Social cohesion has an objective and a subjective aspect. The objective side involves achieving more effective inclusive mechanisms such as employment, education, equity, social protection, welfare, and entitlement to rights.
The subjective aspect is based on internal considerations. That is, it seeks to strengthen subjects’ perceptions of public and private institutions. Likewise, it aims to produce a full sense of ownership of economic, social and cultural rights. It also encourages everyone to feel active and free to participate in deliberative contexts, fostering a sense of belonging and solidarity.
Applying Social Cohesion to Policy Prescriptions
However, before applying these aspects, the paradigm proposes a fundamental tool in its theoretical proposal. The objective is to establish which problems hinder social cohesion and to understand that they occur in a multifactorial manner. This understanding is essential in order to have a clear idea of reality and thus generate the right solutions.
After detecting specific problems, a deeper analysis reveals the structural causes and the inclusion-exclusion dynamics. These can include political or economic processes, disparate access to rights and opportunities, etc. From there, governments can think about changing or implementing new policies focusing on cohesion.
Policies focused on strengthening the positive aspects of social cohesion can create an overall stronger and self-regulating society. Studies have consistently shown that people are more likely to participate in social development when they believe their participation matters and can make a difference. Social cohesion at the grassroots level is especially important as groups are more intimately aware of local problems and can make more substantial change when working together in their own communities. Policies focused on decentralization are also key as they redistribute power to more local areas, giving communities a greater sense of efficacy.
Photo by william f. santos in Unsplash
About the Author
Katerine Oria is a sociologist from the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). There she specialized in demography and working on community censuses of the city’s neighborhoods.