Evidence-based social cohesion interventions in local government

Abstract

Promoting social cohesion is particularly critical in South Africa given the context of widening inequality, growing unemployment, and persistent racial inequalities. Without measurement, potential key contributing factors that may influence social cohesion (inequality, poverty, violence, gender conflicts, mistrust, etc.) will remain elusive, thereby complicating the formulation of effective policies and programmes in the local sphere of government towards improved social cohesion and inclusive development (Palmary, 2015; Rocha, Kunc, & Audretsch, 2020). Following a mixed method design, inclusive of a literature review, desktop survey, case study analyses and semi-structured interviews with three cohorts (n = 32), the purpose of this article was to outline the framework dimensions of an evidence-based measurement instrument (i.e., Municipal Social Cohesion Barometer) to gauge the extent to which municipalities succeed in promoting social cohesion. The findings revealed dimensions and indicators for such an instrument and concluded that without a measurement instrument, potential key determinants that influence social cohesion in local communities remain largely hidden, making it difficult to design initiatives aimed at enhancing social cohesion through a more inclusive approach to local development. The relevance of the findings is centred on the utilisation of an instrument for measuring social cohesion that enables policymakers to target key domains that currently limit national unity.