Ethnic Diversity and Social Cohesion: Immigration, Ethnic Fractionalization and Potentials for Civic Action Merlin Schaeffer

AbstractThis paper asks whether where someone lives bears any association with their attitudes to inequality and income redistribution, focusing on the relative contribution of neighbourhood income, density and ethnic composition. People on higher incomes showed higher support for redistribution when living in more deprived neighbourhoods. People with lower levels of altruism had higher levels of support for redistribution in neighbourhoods of higher density. People living in more ethnically mixed neighbourhoods had higher levels of support for redistribution on average, but this support declined for Whites with low levels of altruism as the deprivation of the neighbourhood increased. Current trends which sustain or extend income and wealth inequalities, reflected in patterns of residence, may undermine social cohesion in the medium- to long-term. This may be offset to some extent by trends of rising residential ethnic diversity.

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‘Hunkering Down’ in Multi-Ethnic Neighbourhoods? The Effects of Ethnic Diversity on Dimensions of Social Cohesion

European Sociological Review ◽

10.1093/esr/jcr022 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 527-537 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

Mérove Gijsberts ◽

Tom van der Meer ◽

Jaco Dagevos

Keyword(s):

Social Cohesion ◽

Ethnic Diversity

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The Impact of Institutional Quality on Social Cohesion: Evidence from Worldwide Perspective

ISSUE1 - Journal of Peace, Development & Communication ◽

10.36968/jpdc-v04-i03-12 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol Volume 4 (Issue 3) ◽

pp. 207-231

Author(s):

Muhammad Nadeem ◽

Mumtaz Anwar ◽

Zahid Pervaiz

Keyword(s):

Income Inequality ◽

Social Cohesion ◽

Ethnic Diversity ◽

Institutional Quality ◽

Fixed Effect Model ◽

Effect Model ◽

Two Factors ◽

The Impact ◽

Harmful Effects

Diversity and socioeconomic deprivation have been widely discussed as determinants of social cohesion. These two factors are considered to be a threat to social cohesion. The existing literature identifies the problem however the literature suggesting the solution is very limited. The most important determinant which can cure the problems of social cohesion is the better quality of institutions, however, the literature on this aspect is very scant. Current study has investigated the impact of institutional quality on social cohesion. Current study employs the fixed effect model for estimation. The analysis is conducted for 135 countries, using five-year average panel data. The results suggest that institutional quality augments social cohesion, while ethnic diversity, income inequality, and globalization are a threat to social cohesion. Gender equality and per capita income also augment social cohesion. Moreover, the threat to social cohesion is greater when there is: low institutional quality and high: ethnic diversity, and income inequality as compared to a situation where there are high institutional quality and low: ethnic diversity, and income inequality. The results further suggest that the harmful effects of ethnic diversity, globalization, and inequality can be, not only overcome by institutional quality but can also be put to use to enhance social cohesion.

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The Challenge of Social Corrosion

10.1093/oso/9780198805489.003.0008 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony F. Heath ◽

Elisabeth Garratt ◽

Ridhi Kashyap ◽

Yaojun Li ◽

Lindsay Richards

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Civic Engagement ◽

Social Cohesion ◽

Ethnic Diversity ◽

Social Trust ◽

Social Division ◽

British Identity ◽

National Pride ◽

The 1950S

Has increasing inequality and ethnic diversity served to corrode social cohesion in Britain? The evidence discussed in this chapter suggests that in many respects, such as levels of national pride, social trust, and civic engagement, Britain has not in fact changed all that much since the 1950s and 1960s. Nor is Britain all that out of line with peer countries. However, there are long-standing problems of social division, low trust, and disconnection from politics, albeit sometimes taking new forms. In some respects, then, Britain is not all that cohesive. Moreover, there are some new emerging challenges such as declining election turnout, especially among young people, and declining sense of British identity in Ireland and Scotland. However, these emerging challenges cannot be blamed on inequality and diversity. Instead, the explanations, and the solutions, are more likely to be specific and political.

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