Session 1

1. Dr. Julia Leininger on behalf of DIE‘s social cohesion team
GIZ Virtual Sessions Series „Social Cohesion in the MENA region“, October 25, 2020
Setting the Stage: Defining Social Cohesion

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Social cohesion and global cooperation
▪ Social cohesion will be even more important in the coming decades
as global trends increase pressure on societies
▪ Societal and political responses are crucial to tackle global problems
such as the Covid19 pandemic
▪ Expertise to improve social cohesion in all countries. Multi-
directional learning needed in all countries
▪ Agenda 2030: social cohesion relates to principle “leave no one
behind”

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Definition of social cohesion
Social cohesion can be understood as ‚the glue that holds society
together‘
It refers to both the vertical and the horizontal relations among members
of society and the state as characterized by a set of attitudes and
behaviours that includes trust, an inclusive identity, and cooperation for
the common good.
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Adapted and modified version of Chan et al. (2006). For further references see
Bertelsmann (2017); Langer et al. (2017); Schiefer & van der Noll (2016); UNDP
(2016); Green et al. (2011); Friedkin (2004); Jenson (1998)

4. © Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Defining social cohesion
4
Multidimensional concept
Each attribute has two
dimension:
Vertical dimension:
State – society
Horizontal dimension:
Between social groups

5. © Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
DIMENSIONS ATTRIBUTES
Inclusive
identity
Trust Cooperation for common
good
Between state and
individual (vertical)
National identity Political trust Vertical cooperation
Between groups
(intergroup,
horizontal) Social identity
Outgroup trust
Intergroup cooperation
Between individuals
(interpersonal,
horizontal)
Ingroup trust
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Identity score
Aggregation
Trust score Cooperation score

6. © Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Example for one profile
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CLUSTER 1:
high trust
medium identity
low to high cooperation
For example:
Namibia, Benin
Trust
Identity
Cooperation

7. Want to make your work on social cohesion accessible? For more information see
socialcohesion.info or contact julia.leininger@die-gdi.de
www.socialcohesion.info
Launch on November 12, 2020
during the Social Cohesion Week (November 9-12, 2020)

8. © Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 8
Thank you!
The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für
Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
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D-53113 Bonn
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DIE@die-gdi.de
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