Social Cohesion
Senior 4 · General and Religious Studies
Social Cohesion
Lesson 1 of 4
25 min
Read this illustrative case. One night, heavy rain destroys twelve houses on two neighbouring hillsides, six on each.
The rain, the money and the government were the same. What differed was the way people related to one another and to their leaders. Social scientists call that difference social cohesion. This lesson gives you the words to describe it precisely, and the tools to test whether a community has it.
Important
Source A: a research definition
Social cohesion is "the vertical and the horizontal relations among members of society and the state, which hold society together. Social cohesion is characterized by a set of attitudes and manifestations that includes trust, an inclusive identity, and cooperation for the common good. It is the glue that holds society together."
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Social Cohesion Hub.
Source B: how Rwanda's reconciliation survey describes it
"Social cohesion manifests itself in trust, willingness to speak the truth, speaking on behalf of the weak, giving others the voice, civic participation and a sense of belonging to a community."
National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer 2020, section 2.3.6.
Definition
Social cohesion: the relations among the members of a society, and between them and the state, that hold the society together. It shows in trust, an inclusive identity and cooperation for the common good. Example: on Hillside A, people of different families rebuilt each other's houses.
Horizontal dimension: relations across society, between individuals and between groups (neighbours, generations, religious communities, regions).
Vertical dimension: relations up and down, between citizens and the institutions that govern them (village leaders, courts, police, government).
Social trust: the ability to trust people outside your own family and friends. Institutional trust: confidence that institutions will act fairly and keep their word.
Inclusive identity: a sense of belonging that has room for everyone in the society, alongside each person's smaller identities. Example: seeing yourself as Rwandan as well as a member of your family, faith and district.
Common good: what benefits the whole community rather than one person or group. Example: a protected spring that every household can use.
Source A is an analyst's definition, written to be measured. It has three attributes (trust, inclusive identity, cooperation) that can each be found on two dimensions (horizontal and vertical). Figure 1 sets them out as a grid.
Source B agrees on trust, belonging and participation, but adds behaviour with a moral edge: telling the truth, speaking for the weak, giving others a voice. It reminds you that cohesion is not only a feeling. It is something people do, especially for those with the least power. Notice also what neither source says. Neither says that a cohesive society is one where everyone is the same, or where nobody disagrees.
Because cohesion is a relationship, you cannot see it directly. You infer it from what people do. The table lists signs a researcher, a local leader or a student can look for.
| What to look at | Signs of strong cohesion | Signs of weak cohesion |
|---|---|---|
| Trust between people | People lend, borrow and trade with those outside their family | People deal only with their own kin; rumours about other groups spread fast |
| Belonging | Most people feel the community and the country are theirs | Some groups feel like guests or outsiders in their own country |
| Inclusion | Schools, jobs and services are open to all on fair terms | Some groups are shut out because of who they are |
| Participation | People attend assemblies, vote and volunteer | People withdraw: "it is not my business" |
| Trust in institutions | People accept decisions of courts and leaders as fair, even when they lose | People see institutions as serving one group |
| Handling conflict | Disputes go to dialogue, mediation or the courts | Disputes are settled by force or revenge |
The last row matters most for an exam answer. Every society has conflict. Cohesion shows in how conflict is handled.
Rwanda places cohesion in its highest law. Article 10 of the Constitution commits the State to "eradication of discrimination and divisionism based on ethnicity, region or any other ground, as well as promotion of national unity" and to a "constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus". These commitments respond directly to the history that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, when leaders deliberately destroyed trust between Rwandans.
In March 1999 the government set up the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC). Today the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) leads the work; its stated mission is "to preserve historical memory, to reinforce national unity, and to promote citizenship education and culture". The Rwanda Governance Board lists home-grown tools that support cohesion, among them the Abunzi mediation committees, Ndi Umunyarwanda and Umuganda.
NURC measured reconciliation in national surveys in 2010, 2015 and 2020, the Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer. Each survey scored six pillars, and social cohesion is one of them.
| Pillar | 2010 (%) | 2015 (%) | 2020 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding the past, the present and envisioning the future | 81.7 | 91.8 | 94.6 |
| Citizenship, identity and responsibility | 95.2 | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Political culture and governance | 77.8 | 88.4 | 90.6 |
| Security and wellbeing | 74.7 | 90.7 | 94.3 |
| Justice, fairness and rights | 77.2 | 91.4 | 93.1 |
| Social cohesion | 87.3 | 96.1 | 97.1 |
| Average | 82.3 | 92.5 | 94.7 |
Source: NURC, Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer 2020, Table 2.
The scores rose in every pillar. Before you conclude, ask what the survey measures. It records what respondents say about their attitudes and their community, so it measures perceptions. Perceptions matter, because people act on them, but surveys on sensitive subjects can be inflated when respondents give the answer they believe is expected. A careful conclusion therefore reads: "Rwandans report high and rising levels of social cohesion (97.1% in 2020); other evidence, such as how disputes are settled in practice, should be used to confirm it."
Warning
Four common mistakes
Tip
Look across, then up. In any question on social cohesion, check the horizontal dimension (people and groups) and then the vertical one (people and the state), and name the attribute you mean: trust, identity or cooperation. Six boxes, as in Figure 1, give you six possible points.
Important
Discuss. In an illustrative district, 95% of residents say they trust their neighbours, but only one resident in five attends the village assembly, and few report problems to their leaders. Is this district cohesive? Use both dimensions in your answer, and suggest one action that would strengthen the weaker one.
IDOS (German Institute of Development and Sustainability): "What is Social Cohesion? Cooperation, Identity, Trust", about 5 minutes. Listen for the three elements and for the difference between relations among people and relations with the state.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the hillside case, Figures 1 and 2, the tables of signs, the analysis and the exercises.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each situation to the part of social cohesion it shows best.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
