A healthy democracy and proper societal cohesion require that all voices are heard. If societal progress is to be beneficial and enduring, it must also be inclusive.
Sydney emerges as the most segregated of our biggest capital cities, and the trend will continue without broad changes in government policy and investment.
The stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in a church in Wakeley on Monday has left many in shock. Dai Le, whose electorate features the church where the incident happened discusses her community's reaction.
Real social cohesion comes from the slow and unglamorous work of listening to people carefully, paying them respect and giving them the benefit of the doubt.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation on developments in South Africa’s strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19.
GCIS
On the positive side, good progress has been made on gender equality and fewer people are dying of unnatural causes.
Income inequality is the gap between the highest and lowest earners in a given area. It can contribute to people’s risk of poor health, and specifically mental health.
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But on the positive side, support for multiculturalism and ethnic diversity continues to grow and is likely to be a valuable asset to our social cohesion in future.
Donald Trump is one of many political leaders through history who has claimed he embodies the voice of ‘the people’ – but which people he means matters quite a lot.
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Some fascists claim that democracy and fascism have the same goal – to give effect to the will of the people. But who the people are is where the ideologies divide.
Western governments’ anti-terrorism strategies are now colliding with public sympathy for Ukraine, and its people’s desperation to fight Russia with any means.
Dealing with what have been called ‘wicked’ and ‘adaptive’ problems is a huge challenge for political leaders. A ‘clumsy’ response can be inevitable – and even desirable.
Over the course of the pandemic, there’s been an increase in many aspects of social cohesion.
But this may be slipping as lockdowns drag on. Here’s how we measured social cohesion, and why.
Hanlie Booysen, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
In the wake of the Christchurch and Auckland attacks, should official definitions of terrorism conflate the actions of a white supremacy extremist and a radical Islamist extremist?
Children play on a trampoline in Alexandra, Johannesburg.
EFE-EPA/Kim Ludbrook
International student demand for places in Australia has fallen by a third over the course of the pandemic, while for our key competitors demand has remained stable or even increased.
Hunger is not the cause of the current social upheaval. But, taken along with other deep-rooted structural inequalities, it provides additional fuel for socio-political conflagration.
The graves of the victims of the Sharpeville massacre tell a grim story.
Frank Trimbos/Gallo Images/Getty Images
The low levels of familiarity with key historical events indicate that there are serious shortcomings in the development of national collective memory in South Africa.
Research Director: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division, and Coordinator of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), Human Sciences Research Council