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WiSe 19/20: Social Cohesion in European Societies

Bujar Aruqaj

Comments

Our context and time is posing many challenges to European societies today: increasing diversity as a result of immigration to Europe over the past decades; the widening income gap between rich and poor; the current rise of right-leaning political movements, and fears of the political disintegration of the EU have alarmed academics, policymakers, as well as the wider public. For many, such trends have created the perception that the very “social fabric” of societies is being threatened. But what is social cohesion precisely and how can we assess it? What is the “social glue” that makes society act “as one” and embodies a more “holistic” societal cooperation?
The course will offer insight into the conceptual as well as the empirical aspects pertaining to social cohesion. We will begin by reviewing classical writings in the topic by authors such as Durkheim on mechanical and organic solidarity, Lockwood on social and system integration, up to very recent studies done on social cohesion. The other parts of the course (I, II & III) will look deeper into empirical research done on cohesion. Here, we will address more concise questions, such as: What are the constitutive components of social cohesion? How to assess/measure cohesion? What makes some societies more cohesive than other? What does the condition of subnational groups such as ethnic minorities and migrants within a society reveal about the overall cohesiveness of a society? What policies can foster cohesion? What erodes cohesion? close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Mon, 14:00 - 16:00 16 Class schedule

Mon, 2019-10-14 14:00 - 16:00

Lecturers:
Bujar Aruqaj