Westend61 / Caiaimage / Sam Edwards
Dossier

Social Cohesion: What makes our society strong

Westend61 / Caiaimage / Sam Edwards

Sometimes you only need to look at the Internet to see that society is divided. Into different camps, between which the exchange quickly escalates, at least on a verbal level. Opinions that seem more and more irreconcilable and become fronts. But hostility does not only occur in the anonymity of the Internet. It also occurs in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Politicians who take a public stand in their official capacity increasingly face open violence.

When the willingness to engage in dialogue ends and differences of opinion turn into hatred, it affects us all: it endangers democratic coexistence. What can we do about it? There are encouraging approaches in all the areas we support - and this dossier is about those approaches. A wide variety of actors show how they strengthen social cohesion, and what can emerge when people stay in touch even under difficult conditions. 

We look at how people with very controversial opinions can discuss without getting into conflict. Why teachers in schools across Germany are concerned about cohesion - and why they have started an initiative to address the issue. We look beyond Germany to post-civil war societies, where the question of social cohesion between population groups is particularly fundamental. And to Ukraine, where courageous activists are trying to maintain social cohesion in their war-torn country.
 

Q&A: Social Cohesion

Social cohesion describes the feeling of connectedness, solidarity and support within a society. People who feel social cohesion feel that they belong to society and trust their fellow citizens. But what is the state of cohesion in Germany? The think tank More in Common 2023 conducted quantitative and qualitative surveys on this question. They show that the community is increasingly drifting apart. When asked whether everyone in Germany looks after themselves or we look after each other, 79% agree with the statement: "Everyone looks after themselves". This is a problem for social cohesion.

A high level of social cohesion strengthens the stability of communities and resilience of a society. Citizens feel more comfortable in their environment and social inequalities and conflicts can also be prevented. Isolation and loneliness in particular can lead to alienation and radicalization. The above-mentioned study by More in Common shows that people are concerned about cohesion: 62% say they regularly think about social cohesion.

Various criteria can have a positive influence on social cohesion: These include social justice, a fair opportunity for education, fair wage distribution, the promotion of diversity and political participation. The study by More in Common shows that the perception of fairness in particular has declined in recent years. 80 percent of respondents believe that things are rather unfair in Germany. This perception of injustice, which has been measured since 2019, has continued to rise since the start of inflation. Data from a study on social cohesion published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 2024 points in the same direction. Almost 64% of respondents feel that the social differences in society are unfair.

In order to promote social cohesion in society, supporters are needed at an individual, societal and political level. The Bertelsmann Stiftung's study on social cohesion shows that direct local social involvement in a resilient circle of friends, clubs and other communities, as well as the opportunity to stand up for one's own interests, go hand in hand with greater cohesion. The focus should therefore be on the local social infrastructure. Citizens should thus be enabled to actively participate.

 

Our experts

Shibina Jose

In August 2023, the 37-year-old moved from India to Schwäbisch Gmünd. Here she works as a nurse at St. Ludwig and is part of the STaF mentoring program.

Sigrid Hegele

As a mentor in the STaF mentoring program, the retiree shares her local knowledge, expertise and network with newly arrived nursing staff.

Oleksandr Shevchenko

Oleksandr Shevchenko is co-founder of the ReStart initiative, which is working on a plan to sustainably rebuild destroyed infrastructure in Ukraine.

Evgeniya Sayko

Managing Director and Co-founder of MAGNET – Werkstatt für Verständigung. Evgeniya Sayko developed the demoSlam format.

Frank Ahrens

Principal of the Waldparkschule community school in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg.

Susanne Gehlen

Principal of the Genoveva High School Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Thilo Engelhardt

Principal of the Waldparkschule community school in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg.

Monica McWilliams

Monica McWilliams was the co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition political party.

Laura-Kristine Krause

Founding Director of More in Common in Germany. She studied public policy and political science and was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Washington.
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