Okuzeka
Sociology vocabulary · Urbanisation and Community

Social cohesion

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCommon term

In sociology, social cohesion means: The degree to which people in a society or community feel connected, trust one another and share a sense of belonging and common purpose.

In Turkish: toplumsal uyum, sosyal uyum, toplumsal bütünleşme

How it is used

Common in policy reports, urban studies and research on diversity. It is usually measured through trust, participation and sense of belonging. Durkheim's idea of social solidarity is an earlier version of the same concern.

Example sentences

  1. The council funded street festivals to strengthen social cohesion in the district.

  2. Some studies find that social cohesion is lower in neighbourhoods where residents move in and out often.

Common collocations

  • strengthen social cohesion
  • community cohesion
  • threat to social cohesion
  • social cohesion and trust
  • communityA group of people who share a place, an identity or common interests and feel a sense of belonging and connection to one another.
  • social capitalThe resources people can access through their social networks and relationships, such as information, support, trust and useful contacts.
  • anomieA condition in which the norms that guide behaviour become weak, unclear or contradictory, often during rapid social change, leaving people without direction.
  • multiculturalismThe coexistence of several cultural or ethnic groups in one society, and the policies or ideas that support recognising and respecting their differences.

More terms: Urbanisation and Community

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: