Making sense of the duality of social cohesion

Chandré Gould

doi:10.17159/2413-3108/2016/v0n55a763

Abstract

This edition of South African Crime Quarterly is a special edition dedicated to investigating the role of social cohesion in understanding and addressing the problem of violence in South Africa.

Highlights

This edition of South African Crime Quarterly is a special edition dedicated to investigating the role of social cohesion in understanding and addressing the problem of violence in South Africa
Collective efficacy, a more recent development of the concept of social cohesion, refers to how social cohesion can prevent violence when it is translated into collective action for the ‘common good’ at neighbourhood level.[3]
While a lack of social cohesion is theorised to result in a state of disorder or conflict, low levels of social cohesion are seen to undermine the effectiveness of crime prevention initiatives at local level

Summary

Introduction

A society lacking cohesion would be one that displayed social disorder and conflict, disparate moral values, extreme social inequality, low levels of social interaction between and within communities, and low levels of place attachment – characteristics that are familiar to South Africa.[2] Collective efficacy, a more recent development of the concept of social cohesion, refers to how social cohesion can prevent violence when it is translated into collective action for the ‘common good’ at neighbourhood level.[3] While a lack of social cohesion is theorised to result in a state of disorder or conflict, low levels of social cohesion are seen to undermine the effectiveness of crime prevention initiatives at local level.

Results

Conclusion