Concept Of Social Cohesion Research Articles

PROSPECTIVE DIRECTIONS OF URBAN CONCEPTS TRANSFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE IMMERSIVE PRESENCE ENVIRONMENTS DEVELOPMENT

The proliferation of immersive presence environments (an artificially created multimedia environment of an alternative reality) is evolving into a widespread social phenomenon that gradually influences how people live and interact. As a result, it has the potential to reshape expectations and demands regarding living spaces and their arrangement. While numerous studies have explored the impact of virtual and augmented reality technologies on urban planning, relatively little attention has been given to the possibility that the behavioral changes brought about by these technologies could prompt a reevaluation of the fundamental principles underlying urban planning. Previously, immersive environments were primarily seen as tools for a limited group of individuals to enhance their problem-solving capabilities within the existing framework of urban planning. However, with the widespread adoption of virtual presence tools, there is a potential for a significant shift in this paradigm. The exact nature and implications of these changes are still not well understood and remain uncertain. However, through the method of behavioral interpolation, we can begin to model the key aspects and potential outcomes of this paradigm shift. The object of this article is to present a theoretical framework for potential transformations in the contemporary urban planning paradigm resulting from the widespread adoption of personalized virtual reality technologies. Through analysis, five key categories within modern post-industrial urban planning are identified as likely to undergo changes: a) residential areas; b) accessibility radius; c) social cohesion; d) transportation requirements, and e) optimal density. Residential units will necessitate additional opportunities and spaces, altering living requirements and lifestyles. The significance of the accessibility radius, particularly for pedestrians, may diminish as a considerable number of desirable locations become accessible directly from individuals' homes. Reducing strain on transportation networks will enhance cities' environmental sustainability and create new opportunities for green spaces. The concept of social cohesion will experience stratified transformations, as differences related to ethnicity, religion, gender, race, age, social status, etc., become neutralized through the development of shifting virtual personas and non-deterministic identities. These interrelated changes will also diminish the weight of the optimal density category. Collectively, these transformations form a comprehensive conceptual framework that reimagines the city. This article outlines two potential directions of change in the urban paradigm that could arise from the proliferation of personalized metaverse communication technologies. The first direction pertains to the contemporary interpretation of deurbanistic concepts, incorporating elements of self-sufficiency, stability, security, and communication infrastructure characteristic of the information age. The second direction is likely to focus on various approaches to transforming the existing urban environment. This transformation will occur through the involvement of market regulatory mechanisms and the development and implementation of specialized municipal programs aimed at modernization and stimulating population growth.

Conceptualisation and Measurement of Social Cohesion within the Sport and Physical Activity Context: A Scoping Review.

Sport, physical activity and social cohesion are increasingly linked within the academic literature. Indeed, studies recognise both the importance of social cohesion for promoting physical activity and the potential of sport to support social cohesion. Up until now, however, the ways in which social cohesion has been defined and measured in the context of sport and physical activity have not been the subject of much academic attention. Through a scoping review of studies measuring social cohesion in the sport and physical activity context, we aim to uncover how social cohesion is defined and measured, thus allowing us to better grasp how the concept is understood and operationalised in this field. As such, full-text inclusion occurred when studies quantitatively measured social cohesion through a questionnaire/survey instrument in connection with sport or physical activity participation or within programmes using sport to foster social cohesion. A total of 40 papers were included in the review, showing broad support for the argument that social cohesion is positively related to sport or physical activity participation. However, the retained texts engage on only a surface level with the concept of social cohesion, with around half not defining the term and the associated measurement tools using only a fraction of the dimensions typically associated with social cohesion. To conclude, we propose future directions to enhance conceptual engagement with and measurement of social cohesion.

Social Integration, Community's Sense of Perception of Safety among Neighborhood Communities in Klang Valley Area

Perception of safety has become a concerning issue in Malaysia. It is proven by the rapid growth of gated community in Malaysia due to public concern over the safety of their family. The important of the topic is to find out in what extent the social capital such as concept of social cohesion and sense of community besides environment design in helping to create perception on safety among residential community area in Klang Valley. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between social cohesion, sense of community towards safety perception in Klang valley area community. The methodology was uses a quantitative approach and survey techniques using descriptive and inferential analysis. A total of 500 respondents covering gated and non-gated neighborhood communities in the Klang Valley area. Respondents were selected through multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected using a self -administered questionnaire form by the respondents with minimal monitoring by the researcher. A set of questionnaires that includes a combination of several scales were used, namely demographic background, social cohesion, sense of community and safety perception. Analysis was used is descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Major finding of the study is respondents who have better sense of community will create a better perception of safety in gated and non-gated resident. It is believed that the findings of this study would add new perspective on how social cohesion is important to create better perception of safety to their neighborhood community. Therefore, responsible parties such as local authorities need to give more emphasis to programs that build social capital among residents and eventually create a safe environment in a neighborhood. For further research, researcher can include environmental design as a second variable in strengthen social capital (sense of cohesion and sense of community) to build good vibe of perception of safety among gated and non-gated communities in Malaysia.

‘The Whole Concept of Social Cohesion, I Thought, “This Is So Qur’anic”’: Why Australian Muslim Women Work to Counter Islamophobia

Islamophobia is on the rise in many Western countries, and while previous research has considered the causes of Islamophobia and the impact it has on its victims, little research has investigated the attitudes and experiences of Muslims who are working to counter Islamophobia, and particularly those of Muslim women. This research investigates the motivations and intentions of Australian Muslim women who run public engagement events for non-Muslims to counter Islamophobia and build social cohesion. Data were obtained via in-depth interviews with 31 Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya Muslim women in four Australian capital cities. The three main themes that emerged were that the women wanted to connect with the non-Muslims who attended the events, create positive social change, and increase the knowledge that non-Muslims had about Islam and Muslims. Significantly, the women said that their most important motivator was their faith, and they rejected the idea that they were doing such work to appease non-Muslims. Instead, they saw work was an affirmation of their identity as Muslim women and their commitment to God.

SOCIAL COHESION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: REALITIES AND PERSPECTIVES

Strengthening social cohesion is one of the main directions of the Moldova 2030 strategy. At the same time, the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU stipulates social inclusion, poverty reduction, social cohesion, sustainable development and improving the quality of life as social policy priorities. This article analyzes the theoretical approaches of the concept of social cohesion and presents the results of sociological research on social cohesion in the Republic of Moldova conducted in 2020. The sample includes 1202 respondents and is representative by place of residence (urban / rural), sex, age, level of education. The qualitative study included interviews with 90 experts, representatives of local public authorities, NGOs and the private sector and 3 focus groups. The research was carried out within the project “Training and strengthening social cohesion in the Republic of Moldova in the context of rapprochement with the European Union”. As key aspects of social cohesion were analyzed: self-identification of the degree of belonging of Moldovan citizens to the Republic of Moldova, perceptions of solidarity with other citizens, social trust, participation and inclusion of citizens in political, social and economic processes. The research results showed that the level of cohesion and social solidarity in the Republic of Moldova is quite low. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened social distancing, uncertainty about the future, poverty and the marginalization of certain groups of the population and has further contributed to lowering the level of social cohesion.

Social Cohesion Strengthens Social Ties among University Students in Malaysia

The pattern of ethnic relations and religion among university students is always the focus of understanding Malaysian unity and ethnic relation. This study explores the study of unity by recalling the concept of solidarity put forward by Durkheim. Unity as the main concept needs to be reinterpreted by studying the social realities and social history in Malaysia. Unity happens in the long life of harmony since the 1969 ethnic riots until now, but Malaysia still faces social tensions and fights between ethnic and religious in society. Unity is still considered fragile and just a dream. The concept of social cohesion is expressed as a social phenomenon that needs to be studied as the atmosphere is harmonious but colored with social tension. The multi-culture of Malaysian come from its relationship with east civilization before pre-colonial and the British colonization. The differences between ethnicity and religion in social order cause tension and conflict among the groups. Yet development in the last four decades has changed the social landscape where multi-ethnic societies have turned into a socially diverse society. University students are targeted as respondents in understanding the concepts and patterns of social cohesion among them. Studies show that social cohesion among students is developed. The dimension and item analysis show that there are ethnic and religious differences, but the differences are relatively small. It is suggested that follow-up studies in identifying the form and understanding of the relationship of social cohesion on campus should be conducted through qualitative and ethnographic research design in obtaining data to strengthen ethnic relations in the university. Input from this follow-up study finding will strengthen social cohesion among students that can help governance and university development is well managed by identifying the social gap.

Syrians and Social Cohesion: An Evaluation from Scudder’s Framework

“Misafirlik” algısı Suriyeliler ile bütünleşmişken Suriyelilerin kalıcı olduğunun anlaşılmasıyla birlikte sosyal uyum çalışmaları gündeme gelmiştir. Misafirlikten kalıcılığa evrilen süreçte yerel halktan da çeşitli söylemlerin yükselmesi sorunun çok boyutluluğuna vurgu yapmaktadır. Bu çalışmada geçici koruma altındaki Suriyelilerin Türkiye’de kalıcı olduklarının anlaşılmasıyla birlikte önem kazanan sosyal uyum, Scudder’in istemsiz yerinden edilenlerin yeniden yerleşme süreçlerini analiz etmek üzere geliştirdiği çerçeve kapsamında incelenmektedir. Çerçeve Türkiye’deki Suriyelilerin durumuna dair bir bakış açısı sunacak şekilde uyarlanmıştır. Böylece 2011 yılından günümüze dek uzanan süreç de incelenmiştir. Ek olarak tarihsel süreçte yapılan mevzuat çalışmalarına dikkat çekilmiş ve bu çalışmaların sosyal uyum hedefi sorgulanmıştır. Sonuç olarak Suriyelilerin yerel halk ile eşit haklara sahip olmasını engelleyen ve geçicilik algısını pekiştiren geçici koruma statünün Suriyelilerin Türkiye’de kendilerine bir gelecek kurmalarını ve yerel halk ile bütünleşebilmelerini desteklemediği anlaşılmıştır.

The challenge of assessing social cohesion in health impact assessment.

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a method by which a policy, programme or project falling outside traditional health fields, may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population to mitigate negative impacts and strengthen the positive ones. Proposals are analysed from the perspective of all the determinants of health. In France, HIAs are mainly applied to urban development projects where social cohesion (SCo) is a major issue. Although the HIA method is well structured as a step-by-step process, there are no guidelines for assessing SCo. This article opens with literature review to clarify the concept of SCo and to understand how the built environment influences SCo and how social environment influence health. Drawing on this work, this paper presents an analytical framework to assess SCo, integrating both the spatial and physical dimensions of urban design and the perceptions of the neighbourhood characteristics. Following a brief overview of the key findings from applying this framework to HIA of an urban development project, the paper discusses its related strengths and weaknesses. The framework could be a useful tool for HIA as it embraces knowledge from both urban planning and social sciences. It also allows for an overall analysis of all the indicators without relying on a checklist. Nevertheless, it should be tested further to improve its validity.

Social Cohesion in Health: A Concept Analysis.

The concept of social cohesion has been indicated to be a critical social determinant of health in recent literature. Inconsistencies surrounding the conceptualization and operationalization have made utilizing these findings to inform health intervention and policy difficult. The objective of this article is to provide a theoretical clarification of the concept "social cohesion," as it relates to health behaviors and outcomes by using the Rodgers' evolutionary method for concept analyses. This article uncovers the critical attributes, antecedents, and consequences of social cohesion and provides reflection on future use of social cohesion in health literature.

Religious Diversity in Australia: Rethinking Social Cohesion

This paper argues for a reconsideration of social cohesion as an analytical concept and a policy goal in response to increasing levels of religious diversity in contemporary Australia. In recent decades, Australian has seen a revitalization of religion, increasing numbers of those who do not identify with a religion (the “nones”), and the growth of religious minorities, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. These changes are often understood as problematic for social cohesion. In this paper, we review some conceptualizations of social cohesion and religious diversity in Australia, arguing that the concept of social cohesion, despite its initial promise, is ultimately problematic, particularly when it is used to defend privilege. We survey Australian policy responses to religious diversity, noting that these are varied, often piecemeal, and that the hyperdiverse state of Victoria generally has the most sophisticated set of public policies. We conclude with a call for more nuanced and contextualized analyses of religious diversity and social cohesion in Australia. Religious diversity presents both opportunities as well as challenges to social cohesion. Both these aspects need to be considered in the formation of policy responses.

THEORETICAL AXES OF THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL COHESION: RETHINKING OF E. DURKHEIM'S SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE

The paper is dedicated to reviewing the scientific heritage of the classic of French sociology E. Durkheim through the optics of identification of theoretical foundations of the concept of social cohesion. Methodological complexity of the research task is due to the lack of well-formed and clearly defined concept of social cohesion in the scientific heritage of E. Durkheim, reconstruction of theoretical axes of which requires sociological imagination and inductive method using. The author attributes the relevance of this research perspective to the fact that in most foreign studies dedicated to social cohesion phenomenon research there are either limited mentions of E. Durkheim as one of the founders of social cohesion concept or inaccurate interpretations of his views. The paper identifies seven theoretical axes of the concept of social cohesion, presented in the scientific heritage of E. Durkheim - homogeneity / differentiation, value-normative consensus / anomie, lack of interactions / constancy of interactions, mechanical solidarity / organic solidarity, relationship between individual and collective, inclusion / exclusion, integration / disintegration. The author has determined semantic purpose and presence at different social levels for each axis. It is established that some elements of certain theoretical axes are present as components of models of social cohesion empirical operationalization in contemporary foreign studies conducted by J. Chan, R. Berger-Schmitt, J. Jenson. It is summed up heuristics of E. Durkheim's definition of essence of social cohesion as a social process that has a dynamic nature of formation and reproduction, requires avoidance of extreme states of its implementation (overpowering or deficiency) and has an impact on all social levels – macro-, meso- and micro-. Emphasis has been placed on the identification of the classics of French sociology social cohesion practical significance as a social phenomenon that has preventive properties against a wide range of negative social phenomena and processes. This fact, according to the author, makes the concept of social cohesion heuristic not only for scientific discourse but also for contemporary state social policy.

Social Base of Relationship between Religious Groups in West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara Province

In an increasingly knowledge-based society, social cohesion can be built through government policy, such as open access to the similar resources required for all groups. Reflecting on the setting, this study emphasizes the social resources that exist within the community itself. In this sense, it referred to kinship relations between the two religious’ groups, namely Catholicism and Islam. By using a qualitative approach and the concept of social cohesion, this study found that the two religious groups who are living together as one community in the inland or rural in West Manggarai district have the same family background. In consequence, the social obligations that they receive solely based on it, regardless of religious differences. This study, therefore, concluded that the background of the same family relationships contributes to creating social cohesion in society.

Social Cohesion and Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Britain: Impossible Mission!

In contemporary multicultural Britain, the concept of social cohesion has been a pressing priority for not only politicians and sociologists but also for the various British ethnic minorities. Race riots like those of 2001 in Northern Britain and the events of 7/7 in London (2005) put into question the allegiances of different British ethnic populations. They equally shed light on the real or perceived lack of social and cultural communication between the established British host population and the British ethnic and immigrant communities. Hence, social cohesion came to the fore as the new jargon of governance in contemporary Britain. This article analyzes on the concept of social cohesion and its applicability within an officially declared multicultural community like that of Great Britain. The concept will be reviewed, defined and approached from different liberal political perspectives while paying special attention to the British context. Bhikhu Parekh’s conception of the different theoretical approaches to the issue of social cohesion that are pertinent to liberal capitalist societies in general and the British context, in particular, is investigated. The aim of this study is to highlight the complexity of the normative accounts of the political scientists regarding the challenges that face multicultural Britain in coming to terms with its endeavor of creating “unity within diversity”. The 2002 White Paper and security speech of David Cameron (2011) political discourses are analyzed and evaluated to decipher how they understood national identity in relation to cultural diversity and social cohesion.

Muestra de los resultados obtenidos en el constructo metodología de evaluación de los docentes desde el concepto de Cohesión Social

En el presente artículo se examinan los resultados obtenidos en el proyecto SECS-EVALNEC (Sistema Educativo y Cohesión Social: Diseño de un modelo de evaluación de necesidades) donde desde la perspectiva de la cohesión social (CS) analizamos el constructo de metodología de evaluación de los docentes en el nivel de 3º de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO), en un centro educativo del área metropolitana de Valencia. Desde la CS, se entiende la educación como el mejor instrumento de las políticas sociales para orientar la transformación y la mejora de las personas, los colectivos y la sociedad. A lo largo de esta investigación se estudian los distintos ítems desarrollados en el proyecto SECS-EVALNEC para el constructo de Metodología de Evaluación, analizando la importancia que concede el profesorado a dichos ítems (según las creencias del alumnado). Los apartados que se van a desarrollar son: 1. El proyecto SECS-EVALNEC: el concepto de cohesión social (CS) en la educación. Las dimensiones de la CS. El constructo de Metodología de Evaluación de los Docentes (MED). 2. La evaluación de la MED a través del instrumento elaborado en el proyecto SECS-EVALNEC para una muestra de 86 alumnos en un instituto del área metropolitana de la ciudad de Valencia. 3. Análisis de los resultados obtenidos. 4. Conclusión y prospectiva.

Social Cohesion and Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Britain: Impossible Mission!

In contemporary multicultural Britain, the concept of social cohesion has been a pressing priority for not only politicians and sociologists but also for the various British ethnic minorities. Race riots like those of 2001 in Northern Britain and the events of 7/7 in London (2005) put into question the allegiances of different British ethnic populations. They equally shed light on the real or perceived lack of social and cultural communication between the established British host population and the British ethnic and immigrant communities. Hence, social cohesion came to the fore as the new jargon of governance in contemporary Britain.This article analyzes on the concept of social cohesion and its applicability within an officially declared multicultural community like that of Great Britain. The concept will be reviewed, defined and approached from different liberal political perspectives (Robert Dahl’s pluralist approach and Arend Lijphart’s consociationalism to the more recent Will Kymlicka’s group-differentiated citizenship) while paying special attention to the British context. Bhikhu Parekh’s conception of the different theoretical approaches to the issue of social cohesion that are pertinent to liberal capitalist societies in general and the British context, in particular, is investigated. The aim of this study is to highlight the complexity of the normative accounts of the political scientists regarding the challenges that face multicultural Britain in coming to terms with its endeavour of creating “unity within diversity”. The 2002 White Paper and security speech of David Cameron (2011) political discourses are analyzed and evaluated to decipher how they understood national identity in relation to cultural diversity and social cohesion. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3376484

СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ СОГЛАСИЕ: СОСТОЯНИЕ И ПУТИ ДОСТИЖЕНИЯ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ

The article deals with the concept of social cohesion, as well as various approaches to its study. It is shown, that modern society is characterized by such features as a high level of social inequality, poverty. There is a limiting factor in achieving social harmony. Other factors may include an information war, increasing competition over limited resources between countries, value differences, etc. So there is the problem of reaching cohesion in modern society. Issues of cohesion were reflected in various sociological concepts. Thus, this problem was considered by the French sociologist E. Durkheim in connection with the theme of solidarity. Human solidarity is not possible without cohesion, social harmony as a fundamental principle. The author examines this concept in connection with the concept of solidarity. The methodological basis of the consensus approach is the structural-functional theory developed by T. Parsons, R. Merton and K. Davis. The problem of social harmony was also considered by John Rawls. The theory of equality and justice J. Rawls called the theory of «complete agreement». Recently, the issue of cohesion has been developed in connection with the issue of conflict. So well-known agonistic approach Sh. Muff, who proposed the term «conflict consensus». A number of researchers, for example, V. Vasilyev, considers the problem of social harmony from the point of view of common interests, noting that there is an antagonistic social structure with oppositely significant interests in our Russian reality. The article analyzes the results of a sociological survey on the prospects of achieving social harmony in modern Russian society; it is concluded that it is difficult to achieve social harmony because of social inequality, differences in the values of representatives of different social groups, a high level of conflict relations in Russian society.

Social Cohesion: Its Meaning and Complexities

The concept Social cohesion is relative and a somewhat difficult concept to define. Many scholars have offered varying degree of definitions but the main challenge noticed in the definition, is the multiple definitions based on individual scholar’s orientation or ideology. Another problem poised by these definitions of the concept is that of multi-level and multi-dimensional nature. Contemporary scholars of social cohesion have defied a way of treating the concept as a phenomenon with a multi-dimensional feature or as a kind of potentially construct concept structured around many varying indices. Academics and policy makers have unanimously arrived at a consensus that, "Social Cohesion" as a concept, is enjoying an ever-increasing popularity. Inspite of this perceived ubiquity in many literatures, the concept of social cohesion is still a hugely ill-defined concept that exact meaning varies from one scholar to another. While some scholars or researchers understand the concept as being synonymous to trust, solidarity and peace; many others tend to be of the view that the concept can incorporate such terms as inclusiveness, poverty and social capital. Sociologists however have associated or aligned the concept to ideas that includes social integration and system integration. In furtherance of the search for a clear definition, sociologists have attempted to simplify the challenges embedded in its definition. They highlighted interest in developing a general theory of social cohesion that is confronted with a complex body of work that involves various definitions of social cohesion and engaged specialized literatures on particular dimensions of social cohesion (e.g., membership turnover, organizational commitment, categorical identifications, interpersonal attachments, network structures) and encourage lines of inquiry that is focused on the specific types of groups (e.g., families, schools, military units and sports teams. The apparent theoretical confusion pointed out by other scholar critically is geared towards a critical view of the concept of cohesion which could be viewed as nothing beyond a "quasi-concept" or "concept of convenience" that can be seen to be flexible enough to allow for tweaking, meanderings and also offer rooms for necessities associated with political action in its everyday activities. The goal of the article therefore is to proffer an in-depth analysis of how the concept of social cohesion has been defined and applied in the literature, taking into cognizance the two traditions used in analyzing social cohesion. The first that has its origin in the disciplines of social sciences such as Political Science, Sociology, Social Psychology etc. Coming after social science discipline is the more recent and increasingly significant approaches that were formulated by policy-makers.

Sociological Perspectives on Social Cohesion as the Principal Requirement for Social Stability

ABSTRACTSocial cohesion is the cornerstone of social relationships, which depend critically on the social systems that determine people’s behaviour. Members of society are defined by their cultural values and beliefs, in terms of which interactions may meet with social approbation or disapprobation. In any society, interactions that draw endorsement from other people are more likely to be welcomed and encouraged, as opposed to interactions that elicit disapproval within the social structure. This article is intended to clarify the concept of social cohesion by reviewing its inherent dimensions in context with the sociological perspectives exemplified in O. E. H. M. Nxumalo’s short story, Lo mngcwabo ngowabakhethiweyo (This Funeral Is for the Chosen Ones). The dimensional notion of social cohesion is considered in light of sociological approaches that are prominent in the ongoing critical debate around social relations in context with religion as a pivotal agent in establishing social cohesion and stability within a broader society. At present, religion is considered a belief system that shapes people’s thinking and world view, and by the same token serves as a social institution that mediates social action as an expression of how people use beliefs and practices to attribute meaning to their existence.

Analyzing the Relationship Between Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Social Affiliation

While previous studies have established social capital as an important determinant of subjective well-being (SWB), the broader social context people are living in has not received much attention in terms of SWB. To address this issue, we propose the concept of social affiliation, measuring the feeling of belonging to the social whole, of being a respected and valued member of society. In contrast to standard concepts of social capital, social affiliation is not related to an individual’s direct environment (‘Gemeinschaft’), but concerns one’s relation to society (‘Gesellschaft’). Such a subjective evaluation of how an individual feels within a broader societal context is neither covered by traditional concepts of social capital nor by the concept of social cohesion which focuses on the macro level. A perception of oneself as living on the margins of society, of not being a respected member of society, is very likely to diminish subjective well-being. At the same time, it can be expected to not be completely unrelated to individual resources of social capital. Drawing on unique survey data from Japan, we analyze the triangle relationship between social capital, social affiliation and subjective well-being applying a structural equation model. Our results have two main implications. First, we show that social affiliation has an effect on subjective well-being that is independent from the effect of standard measures of social capital. Second, we find that social capital influences social affiliation, and thereby also has an indirect effect on subjective well-being. In terms of theory building our results suggest that social embeddedness has two elements which should be measured separately: a community dimension usually measured as social capital in terms of trust, personal networks and norms, and a societal dimension of being and feeling part of a ‘Gesellschaft’, measured as social affiliation.

Ocio educativo y cohesión social

Esta comunicación tiene como finalidad presentar el proyecto de investigación “Ocio, acción sociocultural y cohesión social”, que está siendo realizado por el Grupo de Investigación de Innovación y Análisis Social (GIAS) de la Facultad de Educación Social y Trabajo Social Pere Tarrés de la Universiidad Ramón Llull. El objetivo de este proyecto es profundizar en el conocimiento de cómo y cuándo las prácticas de ocio y de acción sociocultural, dirigidas a los niños/as, adolescentes y jóvenes, se correlacionan con el grado de cohesión social del territorio y cómo dichas prácticas permiten la construcción de una ciudadanía capacitada para superar los procesos de exclusión social, puesto que investigaciones anteriores ya han evidenciado que la participación social y la construcción de ciudadanía, ligadas a procesos identitarios inclusores y la mejora de la cohesión social, permiten superar procesos de exclusión en la población infantil y juvenil. Así, en un primer apartado, se establece el concepto de cohesión social, desde el que se parte, situando éste en el marco del actual contexto de reestructuración de los Estados del Bienestar. En el segundo, se sintetiza la situación del ocio educativo en Catalunya y Euskadi. Y, en el tercero, se presenta de manera detallada la propuesta metodológica evaluativa de carácter participativo con la utilización de técnicas mixtas, que se están siguiendo para desarrollar el proyecto de investigación.