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The glass menagerie of urban governance and social cohesion: concepts and stakes/concepts as stakes

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  • Thomas Maloutas
  • Maro Pantelidou Malouta

Abstract

Social goals and social action are increasingly framed by a host of ambiguously egalitarian notions. The ambiguity of notions like ‘social cohesion’ originates principally in the tentative accommodation of competition and social justice that former radical approaches considered in fundamental contradiction. The social cohesion terminology has become part of political realism and the question is whether such notions are or could be fuelling practices that promote social justice, overcoming the ambiguity/contradiction of the different/competing interpretations nebulously juxtaposed in their fluid definition. This article comments on interrelated ambiguities in the content of social cohesion, governance and tolerance starting with a reformulated goal (social cohesion) which necessitates new means of implementation (‘new governance’) that entail the dominance of non‐conflictual social relations (tolerance). Social cohesion, governance and tolerance are Janus‐faced concepts, full of restrictions and contradictions but also full of possibilities related to the mobilizing potential of their inherently positive meaning. Social cohesion and governance would become real stakes if radical discourse and politics tried to invest them with content and meaning that would effectively transgress their legitimating function of conservative social regulation, and create massive demand for more social justice both in terms of redistributive justice and of democracy. L'action et les objectifs sociaux sont de plus en plus conditionnés par une foule de notions soi‐disant égalitaires. L'ambiguîté de concepts tels que la cohésion sociale émane surtout de l'essai d'adaptation entre concurrence et justice sociale, considérées précédemment par les approches radicales comme fondamentalement contradictoires. La terminologie de la cohésion sociale s'est peu à peu intégrée au réalisme politique, mais il s'agit de savoir si de telles notions nourrissent ou pourraient nourrir des pratiques favorables à la justice sociale, en éliminant la contradiction/ambiguîté des interprétations diverses/concurrentes vaguement juxtaposées dans le flou des définitions. L'article étudie des ambiguïtés corrélatives contenues dans cohésion sociale, gouvernance et tolérance, en partant d'un objectif reformulé (cohésion sociale) nécessitant des moyens originaux de mise en uvre (‘nouvelle gouvernance’) porteurs de relations sociales non‐conflictuelles (tolérance). Ces trois notions à deux visages sont empreintes de restrictions et contradictions, mais aussi de possibilités liées au potentiel mobilisateur de leur sens intrinsèquement positif. Cohésion sociale et gouvernance deviendraient des intérêts réels si le discours radical et la politique s'efforçaient de leur donner des contenus et significations qui transgresseraient effectivement leur fonction justificative de régulation sociale conservatrice, et créeraient une demande massive pour davantage de justice sociale en termes de justice redistributive et de démocratie.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Maloutas & Maro Pantelidou Malouta, 2004. "The glass menagerie of urban governance and social cohesion: concepts and stakes/concepts as stakes," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 449-465, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijurrs:v:28:y:2004:i:2:p:449-465
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0309-1317.2004.00528.x
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    1. Le Gales, Patrick, 2002. "European Cities: Social Conflicts and Governance," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199252787.
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    1. Idrissou, Latifou & van Paassen, Annemarie & Aarts, Noelle & Leeuwis, Cees, 2011. "From cohesion to conflict in participatory forest management: The case of Ouémé Supérieur and N'Dali (OSN) forests in Benin," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(7), pages 525-534, September.
    2. Luisa Sturiale & Alessandro Scuderi, 2018. "The Evaluation of Green Investments in Urban Areas: A Proposal of an eco-social-green Model of the City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Robert Oxoby, 2009. "Understanding social inclusion, social cohesion, and social capital," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 36(12), pages 1133-1152, October.
    4. Frank Gaffikin & Mike Morrissey, 2011. "Community Cohesion and Social Inclusion," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(6), pages 1089-1118, May.
    5. Rafael Carranza & Gabriel Otero & Dante Contreras, 2020. "Spatial divisions of poverty and wealth: How much does segregation matter for educational achievement?," Working Papers 543, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    6. Chau-kiu Cheung & Raymond Chan & Wing-chung Ho, 2014. "Feeling Close to Fellow Citizens in Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 25-48, October.
    7. Caterina Cortese & Annegret Haase & Katrin Grossmann & Iva Ticha, 2014. "Governing Social Cohesion in Shrinking Cities: The Cases of Ostrava, Genoa and Leipzig," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(10), pages 2050-2066, October.
    8. Chau-kiu Cheung & T. Wing Lo & Suk-ching Liu, 2020. "Conditions for Facilitation by Voluntary Organizations to Enhance Social Cohesion in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 173-187, February.
    9. María Luisa Méndez & Gabriel Otero & Felipe Link & Ernesto López Morales & Modesto Gayo, 2021. "Neighbourhood cohesion as a form of privilege," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(8), pages 1691-1711, June.
    10. Chau-kiu Cheung & Stephen Ma, 2011. "Coupling Social Solidarity and Social Harmony in Hong Kong," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 103(1), pages 145-167, August.
    11. Andreas Novy & Daniela Coimbra Swiatek & Frank Moulaert, 2012. "Social Cohesion: A Conceptual and Political Elucidation," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(9), pages 1873-1889, July.
    12. Lesley Hemphill & Stanley McGreal & Jim Berry & Siobhan Watson, 2006. "Leadership, Power and Multisector Urban Regeneration Partnerships," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 43(1), pages 59-80, January.
    13. Callaghan, Gillian & Wistow, Gerald, 2006. "Governance and public involvement in the British National Health Service: Understanding difficulties and developments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(9), pages 2289-2300, November.
    14. Richard Lang & Dietmar Roessl, 2011. "Conceptualizing Social Capital in the Context of Housing and Neighbourhood Management," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1619, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Chau-kiu Cheung, 2015. "Normative Influences on Civility in Hong Kong," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 229-246, January.
    16. Santiago Eizaguirre & Marc Pradel & Albert Terrones & Xavier Martinez-Celorrio & Marisol García, 2012. "Multilevel Governance and Social Cohesion: Bringing Back Conflict in Citizenship Practices," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(9), pages 1999-2016, July.

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