Essay On Social Cohesion

783 Words4 Pages
III. Trust and Social Cohesion Social cohesion is the “glue” that holds the society together and it is seen to be the effect of trust and reciprocity. It is linked to the concepts, some say the product - of social and human capital (Heyneman S. , 2002/03). Human capital is embodied in the skills, knowledge and attitudes acquired by an individual. Social capital is the strength which comes from the relations among people. (Coleman, 1988). Those relations within and across the groups are identified as bonding and bridging respectively. Social cohesion is the result of bonding as well as bridging taking place in the society. Some characterize social cohesion as the capacity of a society to ensure the welfare of all its members, minimizing disparities and avoiding polarization. A cohesive society is mutually supportive community of free individuals pursuing these common goals by democratic means. It is about creating solidarity in a society such that exclusion will be minimized (Euroepan Committee for Social Cohesion, 2004). The key pillar for social cohesion is trust. It is the currency through which social cohesion manifests itself in the society. More people in the…show more content…
There are many ways in which these standards can be developed. Standards should exist in every sector, whether it is public, business or nonprofit. For example the rule of law is the standard that is set between the citizen and its government. It provides the citizen with clear understanding of what the standards that the government promises to keep are and what it expects from its citizens. Only by keeping the standards, in this case obeying the rule of law, can government build the ground to raise trust in its own citizens. This is because the standards are not unduly biased toward any party. They are mutually agreed upon; hence they are

More about Essay On Social Cohesion

Open Document