The wicked problem of social cohesion: moving ahead

Abstract

Purpose Despite the amount of attention given to social cohesion, divisions within many societies are becoming wider due to various factors including religious and far-right extremism and economic austerity. Given its “wickedness”, social cohesion has been researched from various dimensions. However, to develop an effective solution-based programme, these multi-facets need to be brought together for a clearer way forward. This paper aims to bring together multiple disciplines to propose a way forward in the social cohesion discourse in the following two ways: by developing a common conceptualisation of social cohesion and identifying an effective approach to operationalise social cohesion. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted a critical qualitative research approach and used three expert discussion forums consisting of academics and practitioners from multiple disciplines. Findings The research identifies contact theory and participatory approaches as providing an effective way forward for social cohesion. Social cohesion is conceptualised in the form of factors needed to build a cohesive society and outcomes of a cohesive society. Using the social marketing approach of down- mid- and up-stream strategies and interventions, this research proposes a bottom-up approach to addressing the wicked problem of social cohesion. Originality/value Social cohesion has been discussed by various academics and practitioners from multiple disciplines. This paper developed a common conceptualisation of social cohesion based on a review of multi-disciplinary literature combined with discussions with experts from academia and practice. Relating this to the down-, up- and mid-stream social marketing, and this paper also identified the participatory approach, based on contact theory, as an effective way in which social marketers can achieve downstream social marketing objectives.

The best person for the job is the most qualified, right? An experimental study about Islamophobia in hiring practices

“…belonging, resilience and integration, among others (Churchman, 1967;Yassim, 2019). To tackle such problems, social marketing has been extended to systemic and macro levels (Brychkov and Domegan, 2017;Domegan et al, 2016Domegan et al, , 2017Flaherty et al, 2020;Hamby et al, 2017;Kennedy, 2016;Kubacki et al, 2019), by considering the "forest beyond the trees" (Kennedy, 2016, p. 8).…”

“…Hamby et al (2017) highlight the importance of "top-down" causality of a social marketing approach to provide access to quality education for low-income Kenyan youth. Yassim (2019) suggests that contact theory and participatory approaches using a bottom-up social marketing approach would be an effective way to address social cohesion.…”

“…This experimental study focuses on measuring the presence of Islamophobia in hiring practices in Ticino, the most southern state of Switzerland – where Muslims account for only 2% of the population but are perceived as a threat – and argues that social marketing should be used to foster the inclusion of minorities in the workplace. Discrimination is a multifaced social problem involving many actors, political and social factors (Churchman, 1967; Yassim, 2019); thus, it is considered a wicked social issue. Duffy et al (2017, p. 4) define wicked problems as:…”

“…Improving intergroup relations is a multidimensional concept, and thus a wicked problem, involving different actors, political and social aspects, and includes social change, belonging, resilience and integration, among others (Churchman, 1967; Yassim, 2019). To tackle such problems, social marketing has been extended to systemic and macro levels (Brychkov and Domegan, 2017; Domegan et al , 2016, 2017; Flaherty et al , 2020; Hamby et al , 2017; Kennedy, 2016; Kubacki et al , 2019), by considering the “forest beyond the trees” (Kennedy, 2016, p. 8).…”

Formación contable en Colombia: incidencia del contexto político, económico y social

“…Ahora bien, en las comunidades, entendidas en un sentido amplio, existen discordias basadas en segmentaciones y posturas ideológicas, las cuales requieren un abordaje estratégico y multidisciplinario para contribuir a la cohesión social (Yassim, 2019). Así pues, el estudio, ejercicio y práctica de la disciplina contable es un claro ejemplo al reflejar el desarrollo y apoyo mutuo en disciplinas como la economía y las finanzas, "por ello, pretender explicar y entender el desarrollo de las diferentes disciplinas, exige estudiar el entramado social, en que van surgiendo y consolidándose."…”