Reconsidering Social Cohesion: Developing a Definition and Analytical Framework for Empirical Research

• Published in: Social indicators research Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 273 - 302
• Main Authors: Chan, Joseph, To, Ho-Pong, Chan, Elaine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-01-2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Language; Civil society; Cohesion; Cooperation; Definitions; Empirical research; International organizations; Measurement; Measurement Techniques; Methodology; Opportunity equality; Policy; Policy Research; Poverty; Research methods; Research papers; Resistance (Psychology); Respect; Social Capital; Social Cohesion; Social exclusion; Social Indicators; Social integration; Social integration. Social relations. Social participation; Social interaction; Social Isolation; Social organization. Social system. Social structure; Social psychology; Social research; Social science research; Social structure; Society; Sociology; Solidarity; Studies; Social link; Measurement; Political Participation; Social Participation; Social Indicator; Literature review; Social cohesion; Operationalization
• ISSN: 0303-8300; 1573-0921
• DOI: 10.1007/s11205-005-2118-1

Despite its growing currency in academic and policy circles, social cohesion is a term in need of a clearer and more rigorous definition. This article provides a critical review of the ways social cohesion has been conceptualized in the literature: in many cases, definitions are too loosely made, with a common confusion between the content and the causes or effects of social cohesion. This motivates us to propose a refined definition that we hope is clearer and more rigorous. We will show how our definition could be operationalized into a measurement scheme that facilitates empirical work on social cohesion.