Social Cohesion: A Conceptual and Political Elucidation

Abstract

This article aims to clarify the concept of social cohesion by embedding it within a dynamic, multiscalar and complex understanding of socioeconomic development in the city. Section 1 gives a European perspective on the relationship between differing views of social cohesion and urban policy and how its relation to competitiveness is inherent to contemporary EU cohesion discourse. It examines the ambiguity of policy orientations that seek an answer to this failing functionalisation. Section 2 unravels the complexity and multidimensionality of social cohesion as a problématique. It systematises social cohesion as an ‘open concept’, distinguishing between its socioeconomic, cultural, ecological and political dimensions. Section 3 offers ways of accommodating the tensions and contradictions between cohesion and competitiveness inherent in capitalist market economies, and argues in favour of a progressive neo-structuralist approach, capable of laying out policies to make cities more inclusive for all inhabitants in all their uniqueness and diversity.

The (ab)sense of a concept of social support in parenting research: a social work perspective

“…Novy et al . () reason that ‘cultural change [implies] overcoming adherence to a single‐language, mono‐ethnic norm, and accommodating diversity, equality as well as multi‐identity exchange. Within this context, cities [and their social services] can become places of belonging.’ One could argue that neither homogeneous groups nor heterogeneous groups exist, but that although everybody is a unique being, carrying his/her own history with him/her, there is always something that one has in common with ‘the other’, e.g.…”

De la innovación social a la economía solidaria. Claves prácticas para el desarrollo de políticas públicas

“…Principalmente despierta sospechas entre personas comprometidas con la transformación social y la lucha por el cambio en las relaciones de poder. Se entiende que, la innovación -un concepto genuinamente asociado al capitalismo (Gurrutxaga, 2011;Gurrutxaga y Uncueta, 2006)-, cuando se adjetiva con el término social, lo que se busca es hacer referencia a un capitalismo de cara amable que se preocupa por la 1.-Introducción cohesión social (Novy et al, 2012) y en el que en la mayoría de los casos la expresión innovación social sirve como eufemismo de la externalización a la sociedad civil de las responsabilidades públicas vinculadas a los derechos de ciudadanía Pradel et al, 2013;Martinelli, 2013). Partiendo de la aceptación de esta sospecha crítica, este artículo ahonda en la idea que el énfasis en la noción de innovación social puede ser utilizado para el desarrollo de políticas públicas en favor de esas prácticas económicas, normalmente identificadas con la economía social y solidaria, que se plantean incidir en la transformación social y política de las relaciones de poder generadoras de desigualdad y exclusión.…”

Origins and rationale of centres for parents and young children together

“…a space that is intermediate between the public and the private domains and productive of social cohesion, links of solidarity and sense of belonging (Eme 1993;Musatti & Picchio 2005). This concern for social cohesion is not to be reduced to striving for consensual approaches about parenting, but on the contrary wishes to explore relations in contexts of diversity (Novy et al 2012). This perspective implies that the aims and goals of CCP reach further than the individual benefits for parents and children and address the neighbourhood -the city -by 'promoting interaction among community members and trying to build an environment supporting child care throughout the region by intergenerational cooperation', as stated by Japanese guidelines.…”