Social Cohesion and Tolerance for Group Differences

Abstract

Issues of tolerance, understanding, solidarity, and social cohesion represent a key foundation for building cultures of peace (United Nations 1999). Tolerance and understanding ensure that perceived differences in group membership, values, or lifestyle do not result in discrimination and violence (Vogt 1997), whereas social cohesion and solidarity connote a sense of enhanced unity, democracy, and civic participation (Moody and White 2003; Putnam 2000). Though often discussed together, there is a potential antagonism involving the societal consequences of tolerance and social cohesion. Specifically, social cohesion is often achieved and strengthened through destructive means, such as by developing an external enemy or creating an internal scapegoat. Attempts to promote social cohesion can therefore result in decreased tolerance for differences within a society and even lead to the exclusion of groups who do not represent the internal standard or who are depicted as the internal enemy. Thus, the main question of this chapter is: How can social cohesion be achieved in a way that it is not exclusive and destructive, but rather inclusive and constructive (see Valsiner, this volume), thereby effectively contributing to a culture of peace? Potential answers to this question will differ depending on the nature of the societal context. Nation-building in postconflict societies and countries divided by civil war is often challenged with economic hardships, security concerns, or power struggles between groups (Winter and Cava 2006). These forms of instability must be addressed as efforts are taken to achieve social cohesion in such societies. For the purpose of the present chapter, we will focus our analysis on tolerance and social cohesion in the context of structural inequality and intergroup relations in more stable societies. From a social-psychological perspective, we propose that the solution for achieving social cohesion in relatively stable societies may lie in shifting processes of social categorization toward the perception of a superordinate identity between members of different groups. At the same time, we propose that tolerance for group differences must also be emphasized to ensure that social cohesion contributes to cultures of peace within societies as well as to global cultures of peace between societies. Chapter 3 Social Cohesion and Tolerance for Group Differences