Components Of Cohesion Research Articles

Philosophy and the role of cooperatives in the development of social capital. Case study: rural women’s microcredit cooperatives in Iran

The empowerment of people in the society by synergizing the components of social capital (awareness, cohesion, trust and participation) causes transformation in that society. The aim of this study was to investigate the Philosophy and the role of cooperatives in the development of social capital. The statistical population of this study were women members of microcredit funds in Marvdasht Township in Iran. According to the database information, they include 2000 and from this number, 200 statistical samples were selected based on Cochran’s sampling formula and completely randomly. The main research tool was a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using the opinions of university professors and experts, and its reliability was also confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient higher than 80%. The results of the research showed that the index of social capital and components of awareness, trust, participation, cohesion and networks were weak in women. The results of the study showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the empowerment of fund members and social capital (awareness, cohesion, trust, participation and networking). Among the factors affecting social capital, risk-taking with a beta coefficient of 0.637 has been the most important factor affecting the development of social capital of women members of credit funds. The results of the research emphasize that people’s participation in cooperative activities will create a social base for people and then social identity and cohesion for them, which will ultimately lead to the empowerment of rural women. Received: 21 May 2024 Accepted: 05 November 2024

The meaning of social cohesion in preventive family support: a practitioners’ perspective

ABSTRACT Promoting social cohesion through early childhood services has become a priority on the political agenda. Despite joint academic and political attention, a consensus on what social cohesion is, is lacking. While child and family social work is framed as ideal to foster social cohesion, there is little knowledge on what this may mean. The aim of the current study is to analyse the meaning making of child and family social work practitioners regarding social cohesion in Flanders (Belgium). An explorative multiple case study was performed in child and family social work in three neighbourhoods in Flanders. The Critical Incident Technique was used with practitioners (N = 28) to understand how they conceptualise social cohesion and viewed their role in promoting this community-oriented outcome of early childhood services. The results suggest that practitioners focus on the inter-individual and relational components of social cohesion rather than on the socio-political components, which contrasts with the politicising function that child and family social work is supposed to fulfil.

The influence of demographics and sustainable “net zero” transition on the demoeconomic quality of life in the implementation of “Demoethics” values

Object: The goal of the work is to develop components of demoeconomics based on the value of demoethics that contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals, which stipulates their consideration in the context of the influence of demographic processes and the transition to “net zero”. Methods: A systematic approach was applied, aimed at a theoretical analysis of the development of the concept of demoeconomy components based on demoethical values and consideration of their impact on demographic processes and the transition to “net zero”. Theoretical analysis of the literature made it possible to identify promising directions for the components of demoeconomics. Findings: Based on the value of demoethics, components of the concept of demoeconomics were developed in the context of social cohesion (SC), social responsibility (SR), social justice (SJ), social rationality (SR), social security (SS), which contribute to the achievement of a sustainable transition of a “net zero” and stabilization of demographic processes, increasing the quality of life of the population. Conclusions: The proposed method, together with the demo-economic components of social cohesion (balance), responsibility (SR), justice (SJ), rationality (SR), security (SS), will allow the formation of a strong and competitive civil society. It is also a tool for resolving contradictions during the transition to sustainable development and ensuring the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Digital loneliness-changes of social recognition through AI companions.

Inherent to the experience of loneliness is a significant change of meaningful relatedness that (usually negatively) affects a person's relationship to self and others. This paper goes beyond a purely subjective-phenomenological description of individual suffering by emphasizing loneliness as a symptomatic expression of distortions of social recognition relations. Where there is loneliness, a recognition relation has changed. Most societies face an increase in loneliness among all groups of their population, and this sheds light on the reproduction conditions of social integration and inclusion. These functions are essential lifeworldly components of social cohesion and wellbeing. This study asks whether "social" AI promotes these societal success goals of social integration of lonely people. The increasing tendency to regard AI Companions (AICs) as reproducers of adequate recognition is critically discussed with this review. My skepticism requires further justification, especially as a large portion of sociopolitical prevention efforts aim to fight an increase of loneliness primarily with digital strategies. I will argue that AICs rather reproduce than sustainably reduce the pathodynamics of loneliness: loneliness gets simply "digitized."

The role of social capital in empowering rural community for reducing environmental hazards: the case study of Khodabandeh, Iran

Social capital approaches consider the empowerment of societies against disasters, which enable rural communities to recover from the negative effects of hazards. Social capital is a mediator for collective action and can help people build common property resources. Not only can social capital improve access to natural resources, it can also improve access to physical capital. Using the descriptive and analytical survey, this article analyzes the impact of social capital on managing an earthquake in the villages of Khodabandeh in northwest of Iran. The findings indicate that according to the single sample T test as well as the opinions of local authorities and household heads. The components of attitude and cohesion have the strongest direct effect on reducing vulnerability at the level of households and rural authorities, the component of trust has the strongest indirect effect, and the network component has no indirect effect on either level.

From Evangelical to Structural: A Typology of European Sport for Social Cohesion Programs

Despite growing activity connecting sport to social cohesion, in sport-related literature, social cohesion is poorly defined and primarily organized along narrow dimensions of social relations or social capital. Yet social cohesion is a complex, multidimensional concept that encompasses belonging, shared values, trust, and civic participation. Much literature does not explore these other components in-depth, and we know little about how sport programs understand and address these components of social cohesion. Against this background, using qualitative data from a mapping survey completed by 84 European sport organizations, this study aims to create a typology of the main sport for social cohesion approaches in Europe. In the end, four main types are identified: evangelical approaches that rely solely on the power of sport; value approaches that mix sport participation with the promotion of values; integration approaches that combine sport and civic participation to foster social capital and cohesion; and belonging approaches that encourage trust, dialogue, and a greater sense belonging. To conclude, these types are critically discussed and situated against existing literature, focusing on how a fifth, more structural type might take shape.

DETERMINANTS AND PRIORITIES OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC SYSTEMS COHESION GOALS REALIZATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE POST-WAR RECOVERY

DETERMINANTS AND PRIORITIES OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC SYSTEMS COHESION GOALS REALIZATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE POST-WAR RECOVERY

Social Cohesion and Firms’ Access to Finance in Africa

Social cohesion has recently gained increasing attention in academic and policy circles. Apart from being a necessary feature of stable societies per se, social cohesion is also a key factor for sustainable economic development. One potential means through which social cohesion could foster economic development is by enhancing financial development. In this paper, I examine whether social cohesion is significantly associated with firms’ access to finance in Africa. To this end, I use a recently constructed dataset on social cohesion in Africa, which contains indices for the three pillars of social cohesion – trust, inclusive identity and cooperation for the common good. Combining this dataset with that of the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, I build a sample which covers more than 12,600 firms and 27 African countries. The results show that all three components of social cohesion are positively associated with at least one measure of firms’ access to external finance. In particular, trust – but not inclusive identity and cooperation for the common good – is significantly associated with the likelihood that firms have a checking or savings account, or are financially constrained. When we measure access to finance with respect to having a line of credit or a loan from a financial institution, all the three pillars of social cohesion, including inclusive identity and cooperation for the common good, are related to access to finance. The results are robust to addressing endogeneity concerns using a heteroskedasticity-based identification strategy.

The Role of Team Cohesion in Success: A Literature Review from a Psychological Perspective

This article presents a comprehensive literature review on the role of team cohesion in success, focusing on psychological perspectives. It explores theoretical frameworks, including definitions, models, and components of team cohesion, alongside factors influencing it at individual, team, and environmental levels. The review synthesizes empirical evidence on the impact of team cohesion on performance, discusses strategies for enhancing cohesion, and highlights the challenges involved. Future research directions and practical implications for leaders, organizations, and researchers are proposed, emphasizing the importance of understanding and leveraging team cohesion for optimizing performance in various contexts.

DIVERSITY AND INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The relevance of the research topic is that modern societies are diverse and face several challenges that appear to threaten sustainable community development. Many of them are related to diversity and intercultural communication issues. The purpose of the article is to determine the main aspects and practical applications of diversity and intercultural competence in the focus of community sustainable development. The objectives are to look through recent publications dedicated to the various aspects of intercultural competence and diversity competence; to analyze and summarize the models of intercultural communication and competence described in recent publications, as well as diversity competences; to formulate the basic principles of diversity management for sustainable development of educational and business communities. Study results. The article outlines the main features of different models of intercultural and diversity competence. The main approaches to intercultural and diversity competence in the educational and business spheres are investigated. A set of key values and key diversity competencies is presented. Part of the study of social cohesion was the change in the parameters of intercultural and diversity competence in a crisis society. Methodology of the research. The theoretical foundations of diversity management are based on a comparative analysis of recent publications on this issue and the results of modern social practice of organizations in the field of diversity management. The methodological and practical foundations of the above research are based on the previous intercultural and social cohesion studies at the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University (now Ukrainian State Dragomanov University). The Social Cohesion Radar Model has been adopted for practical research in the educational community. This made it possible to present some indicators of social cohesion – "acceptance of diversity" and "trust" as key factors for successful communication, social relations, and, consequently, community development. This model provides an understanding of "acceptance of diversity" and "trust" as key components of social cohesion and monitoring their status in different situations of social challenges, including the challenges of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. A working analogy of the Diversity Radar model for monitoring and assessing diversity intelligence in a community is presented. Practical significance of the research. The study identified the level of acceptance of multicultural diversity in the community and outlined weaknesses for further strengthening with appropriate social and educational tools. The article collects and analyzes various diversity competencies and practical steps to develop diverse and sustainable communities, especially educational ones.

Analyzing Transportation Logistics and Infrastructure Sustainability in the Iberian Peninsula: The Case of Portugal Mainland

ABSTRACT Transportation is one of the most meaningful references of unsustainability in regional urban areas. This difficulty is stimulating urban planners and decision-makers to introduce the concept of sustainability into their policy design at multiple levels. Contextually, through exploratory tools, the present study aims to analyze the impacts over the socio-economic sphere that those new plans could bring to the region and the local populations of Portugal Mainland. Also, analyses of regional disparities in Portugal focused on the socio-economic aspects and analyses on territorial cohesion concept where indicators organized in policy-oriented territorial objectives and then combined with an analytical framework. Besides, the study especially intends to cover sustainable accessibility (also one of the components of territorial cohesion), which aims to help regional planners determine the inherent obstacles and design possible alternatives at the strategic planning level for sustainable regional transport and land-use arrangement. The study shows that exist inequalities in the distribution of absolute accessibility. Value of accessibility in category “very high” in 192 towns (68,57%) settlements, in the central, coastal territory along the dual carriageway and national road corridors, live 81,7% population. Nevertheless, the regional inequalities pattern did not vary considerably in Portugal's last decade of funding policies.

Determinants of fear of crime in Brazil

While some studies suggest that the nature of one´s interactions with the community influences one’s perceived risk of criminal victimization, only a few pieces of research have tested this association in Brazil. Using four previously existing Brazilian victimization surveys, we conducted logistic models to examine whether social ties and social cohesion are associated with perceived risk and fear of crime. The results showed that only in some contexts did social cohesion manifest an association with fear of crime. Specifically, two components of social cohesion may be relevant for this purpose: trusting neighbours and getting help; and the ability to distinguish neighbours from strangers in the street.

Flavors of Non-Random Meiotic Segregation of Autosomes and Sex Chromosomes

Segregation of chromosomes is a multistep process occurring both at mitosis and meiosis to ensure that daughter cells receive a complete set of genetic information. Critical components in the chromosome segregation include centromeres, kinetochores, components of sister chromatid and homologous chromosomes cohesion, microtubule organizing centres, and spindles. Based on the cytological work in the grasshopper Brachystola, it has been accepted for decades that segregation of homologs at meiosis is fundamentally random. This ensures that alleles on chromosomes have equal chance to be transmitted to progeny. At the same time mechanisms of meiotic drive and an increasing number of other examples of non-random segregation of autosomes and sex chromosomes provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of chromosome segregation but also question the textbook dogma of random chromosome segregation. Recent advances provide a better understanding of meiotic drive as a prominent force where cellular and chromosomal changes allow autosomes to bias their segregation. Less understood are mechanisms explaining observations that autosomal heteromorphism may cause biased segregation and regulate alternating segregation of multiple sex chromosome systems or translocation heterozygotes as an extreme case of non-random segregation. We speculate that molecular and cytological mechanisms of non-random segregation might be common in these cases and that there might be a continuous transition between random and non-random segregation which may play a role in the evolution of sexually antagonistic genes and sex chromosome evolution.

Team cohesion: the impact of team design and technical factors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of team boundedness, and formal coordination on task and social cohesion and the moderating effect of organization tenure diversity. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from the responses of 398 team members and leaders working in 111 software development teams to a questionnaire survey. The hypotheses were all tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results show team boundedness and formal coordination have positive and significant associations with task and social cohesion. Formal coordination is a stronger positive predictor for task than social cohesion. Organization tenure has a greater negative effect on social cohesion than task cohesion and moderates the relationship between formal coordination and task cohesion. Practical implications Therefore, for organizations to optimize team cohesion the impact of antecedent variables on social and task cohesion should be taken into considering in planning strategies for improvement. Originality/value This paper has an original approach by adding to the literature through an examination of the antecedent variables of task and social cohesion which are two key components of team cohesion.

Adaptability and cohesion of families in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background & Aim: This Covid-19 pandemic represents a threat and a crisis for families' well-being. According to the Olson Circumplex Model, this study aimed to assess the family functioning through the components of cohesion and adaptability of Portuguese families during this pandemic. Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive, exploratory, and correlational study. A nonprobabilistic and convenience sample consisted of 376 people. Sociodemographic data, the family's characterization, the type of housing, the Vital Duvall cycle phase was collected from the participants, and FACES II was used to assess family cohesion and adaptability. The reliability of this instrument is high. The instruments for data collection were organized and sent through Google® forms, including the Informed Consent Form. The data were analyzed by SPSS-26 software using non-parametric tests were used for inferential analysis. Results: The results showed that 14,6% have a disengaged family cohesion; 7,4% have a very rigid dimension in family adaptability, and about the type of family, 6,1% have an unbalanced dimension. Conclusion: Although on average, the participants have a connected family cohesion and family flexible adaptability, many participants have extreme values, under which it will be necessary to intervene. It is a priority for family nursing to understand the experience of families living in this current social, economic, and health context.

Impact of team design and technical factors on team cohesion

PurposeBased on the interpersonal interaction perspective of team cohesion, this study aims to examine the effects of team boundedness, formal coordination and organization tenure diversity on both task and social cohesion. The authors test for the interaction effect of organization tenure diversity on the relationships between the independent variables and the dimensions of team cohesion.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 111 software development teams and aggregated to the team level. Common latent factor test for common method bias showed no significant bias. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test all the hypotheses.FindingsSEM results show that team boundedness and formal coordination have positive and significant association with both dimensions of team cohesion. Formal coordination was found to be a stronger positive predictor for task cohesion than for social cohesion. Organization tenure diversity was found to be a stronger negative predictor for social cohesion than for task cohesion. Organization tenure diversity in the team moderates the relationship between formal coordination and task cohesion.Research limitations/implicationsThe data was collected using a cross-sectional design. However, the authors have mitigated the effect of common method variance by adopting both procedural and statistical methods.Originality/valueThis paper expands extant literature by examining the antecedents of two important components of team cohesion, task and social cohesion. The authors proposed and found that the independent variables have different impacts on task and social cohesion. This study furthers both theory and practice by considering team boundedness as a variable of interest and its impact on internal team dynamics.

Normalising the “new normal”: Changing tech-driven work practices under pandemic time pressure

The COVID-19 pandemic has had massive implications for the nature of work and the role technology plays in the workplace. Organisations have been forced into rapid ‘big bang’ introduction of technology and ‘tech-driven’ practices in an unprecedented and time pressured manner. In many cases there has been little training or reflection on how the practices and associated technology should be introduced and integrated or adapted to suit the new workplace context. We argue that there is a need for a more reflective ‘normalisation’ of work practices and the role technology plays. The paper draws on normalisation process theory (NPT) and its underlying components of cohesion, cognitive participation, collective action and reflexive monitoring. As an exemplar, we focus on the changing nature of work and adoption of remote working practices. The paper uses NPT to examine current thinking and approaches and offering some guidelines to inform research and practice.

Social protection and revenue collection: How they can jointly contribute to strengthening social cohesion

AbstractSocial protection and revenue collection are often regarded as potential drivers of social cohesion. The article joins this debate, providing three main contributions. First, we carefully discuss the concept of social cohesion and endorse one specific definition. Second, we propose using the concept of the “fiscal contract” as the key theoretical lens to understand the often neglected potential joint effects of social protection and revenue collection policies on social cohesion. Third, we illustrate three main mechanisms through which these policies can have positive or negative impacts on the different components of social cohesion and highlight the relevance of these for policy‐makers deliberations.

Automated semantics-preserving parallel decomposition of finite component and connector architectures

For the systematic development of logical, message-driven architectures, automating parallel decomposition of software components is important to achieve efficient modular and parallel system development. During development, monolithic components that realize multiple independent concerns need to be decomposed to obtain a higher quality architecture of cohesively encapsulated, better comprehensive components. Previous work did not address automated parallel decomposition of finite message-driven and logically timed components with respect to the influence of messages received via input channels on the messages sent via output channels. This, however, is a necessary prerequisite to enable the analysis of event chains across logically distributed architectures. To address this, we present a concept of influence between channels of components that supports automated semantics-preserving parallel decomposition of finite deterministic component implementations into independent, more comprehensible components that are better accessible for analysis and development. Therefore, we extend the Focus theory of time-synchronous components with the concept of influence, present a decomposition procedure leveraging this, and prove that the resulting system is semantically equivalent. This enables automatically decomposing monolithic software components (e.g., for stepwise refinement or refactoring) into smaller components of better cohesion and comprehensibility and thus facilitates automated software engineering.

Associations Between Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Physical Activity in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2017.

BackgroundIndividual social support is positively related to physical activity participation. However, less is known about how neighborhood-level social structures relate to physical activity participation.MethodsWe analyzed 2017 National Health Interview Survey data for adult participants who completed all questions on physical activity and neighborhood cohesion (N = 23,006). Each cohesion question was binary coded (cohesion or not) and used as a predictor individually and for a composite score measuring total social cohesion. We used linear regression to estimate minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and we used logistic regression to estimate the odds of meeting aerobic guidelines (≥150 min/wk), strength guidelines (≥2 d/wk of muscle strengthening exercises), or both guidelines, predicted by the 5 definitions of cohesion (composite cohesion and the 4 questions separately). Models were adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, family-income-to-poverty ratio, education, nativity, language, and neighborhood tenure.ResultsRespondents who reported having more social cohesion had 45.0 more minutes of aerobic activity and increased odds of meeting aerobic, strength, and combined guidelines (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22, OR = 1.13, and OR = 1.14, respectively; P < .01 for all). Reporting having availability of help when needed, neighbors to count on, trustworthy neighbors, and close-knit neighbors all resulted in increased odds of meeting aerobic guidelines but not increased odds for meeting strength guidelines in the latter 3 components or combined guidelines for the latter 2 components.ConclusionsHaving neighborhood social cohesion or select individual components of neighborhood cohesion are positively related to meeting aerobic, strength, and combined guidelines.