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Article contents
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 July 2014
Extract
Citizenship, social rights and social cohesion: A priori, the concept of social cohesion evokes the idea of a body of values, norms, behaviours and expectations that, because they are shared, give meaning to “living together”. This is why, at a time of globalization, neo-liberalism, and economic growth at all costs, implementing strategies designed to promote social cohesion is often presented as the antidote to the ills of society and the prerequisite to development. In the literature and political discourse, the concept of social exclusion is used to describe the reality of many social groups today who feel deprived of security and identity and are convinced that they have lost something they once possessed. The question, then, is one of knowing what the obstacle to social cohesion is. Research efforts, as well as international institutions, have abundant recourse to this logic in order to identify and remedy some of the obstacles they perceive as being the causes of social exclusion. For example, in this respect, inclusion and participation in the labour market is the object of sustained attention; the same applies to the war against poverty. Meanwhile, everything points to social exclusion and its opposite, social cohesion, being phenomena that cannot, for the purpose of analysis, be reduced to questions of material dysfunction in a given society. By the same token, social cohesion cannot be reduced to a matter of integration or a fight to leave the margins of society. This is only part of what we learn from the work of Jane Jenson and Mateo Alalouf, whose earlier efforts have inspired several contributions that follow.
- Type
- Citizenship, Social Rights and Social Cohesion Citoyenneté, droits sociaux et cohésion sociale
- Information
- Canadian Journal of Law and Society / La Revue Canadienne Droit et Société , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , August 2001 , pp. 1 - 16
- Copyright
- Copyright © Canadian Law and Society Association 2001
References
1 On January 25 and 26, 2001, the Faculty of Political Science and Law at Université du Québec à Montréal hosted the International Conference on Cohésion sociale et protection sociale: nouvelles convergences ou espoirs nostalgiques? organized in collaboration with the Centre de sociologie Emploi Travail Formation (ETF) of Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Preliminary versions of the papers published in this special issue of CJLS / RCDS have been presented on this occasion. We acknowledge financial support from SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada).
2 Jane Jenson is the director of the Family Network of the Canadian Policy Research Networks. See Jenson, J., Mapping Social Cohesion: The State of Canadian Research, CPRN study no F/03, 1998, 55 pages, online: http://www.cpm.-org/rcrpp.html.Google Scholar
3 Alaluf, M., Évolutions démographiques et rôle de la protection sociale: le concept de cohésion sociale, Report of the Seminar organized by the Centre de sociologie Emploi, travail, formation, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, 1999.Google Scholar
4 Bernard, P., La cohésion sociale: critique dialectique d'un quasi-concept, CPRN study, 1999, 23 p., online: http://www.cprn.org/rcrpp.html.Google Scholar
5 Sachs, I., Searching for New Development Strategies, MOST Policy Paper no 1, UNESCO, 1995.Google Scholar
6 Xiberras, M., Théories de l'exclusion sociale, Paris, Méridiens Klincksiek, 1993.Google Scholar
7 Council of Europe, Social Cohesion and Quality of Life, Final Report, 1998, on-line at: http://www.social.coe.int/default.htm. Following the release of this Report, a new intergovernmental organ of the Council of Europe, the European Committee for Social Cohesion (ECSC), was created to develop and implement the Council's new strategy for social cohesion.
8 La Faculté de science politique et de droit de l'Université du Québec à Montréal a accueilli, les 25 et 26 janvier 2001, le Colloque international Cohésion sociale et protection sociale: nouvelles convergences ou espoirs nostalgiques? organisé en collaboration avec le Centre de sociologie Emploi Travail Formation (ETF) de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). C'est à cette occasion que des versions préliminaires des textes publiés ici ont été présentés. Cet événement a bénéficié du support financier du CRSH (Conseil de recherche en sciences humaines du Canada) que nous remercions.
9 Jane Jenson est la directrice du Réseau de la famille des Réseaux canadiens de recherche en politiques publiques. Voir Jenson, J., Les Contours de la cohésion sociale: l'étal de la recherche au Canada, Étude des RCRPP no F|03, novembre 1998, 55 p., en ligne: http://www.cprn.org/rcrpp.html.Google Scholar
10 Voir Alaluf, M., Évolutions démographiques et rôle de la protection sociale: le concept de cohésion sociale. Rapport du Séminaire organisé par le Centre de sociologie Emploi, travail, formation. Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, 1999.Google Scholar
11 Voir Bernard, P., La cohésion sociale: critique dialectique d'un quasi-concept, Étude des RCRPP, 1999, 23 p., en ligne: http://www.cpm.org/rcrpp.html.Google Scholar
12 Voir Sachs, I., Searching for New Development Strategies, MOST Policy Paper no 1, UNESCO, 1995.Google Scholar
13 Voir Xiberras, M., Théories de l'exclusion sociale, Paris, Méridiens Klincksiek, 1993.Google Scholar
14 Voir Conseil de l'Europe, Cohésion sociale et qualité de vie, Rapport final, 1998, en ligne: http://www.social.coe.int/default.htm. Suite au dépôt de ce Rapport, un nouvel organe intergouvernemental du Conseil de l'Europe, le Comité européen pour la cohésion sociale (CDCS), a été créé pour élaborer et mettre en œuvre la nouvelle stratégie du Conseil de l'Europe en matière de cohésion sociale.