Social Cohesion in the Western World - Georgi Dragolov

This book published in 2016 fills a gap in social research about social cohesion. The Bertelsmann Stiftung's Social Cohesion Radar create a wide data report with many collaborators in Germany and OECD nations report. The methodology provides many surveys, expert ratings, and indicators in the last 30 years; the ranks are formed by the grouping of nations emerging such as Nordic/Scandinavian, English Speaking, Northwestern European Countries, Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe, Levantine, Southeastern Europe. The economic indicators are decisive but also health, culture, values, inequalities, and openness of societies are important factors. Macro categories are social relations, connectedness, focus on the common good. Subcategories are social networks, trust in people, acceptance of diversity; identification, trust in institutions, perception of fairness, solidarity and helpfulness, respect for social rules, civic partecipation. The Nordic model is first, but the Western Countries and English Speaking in others forms show strong cohesion and it helps more the poor people; the Southern Europe and Eastern Countries contrary are facing growing difficulties with more people in poor conditions, these societies denote growing poor social cohesion and more problems with the economy. Within Germany the comparison from West more cohesive than East replace the old political divisions. In summary, more social cohesion give a more inclusive society and this is an important lens through which values emerge; the respect of the Rule of Law is a determinant all in all.