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Underlying Dimensions of Social Cohesion in a Rural Community Affected by Wartime Violence in Colombia

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  • Ignacio Ramos-Vidal

    (Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Sevilla, Calle Ramón y Cajal s/n, 41018 Sevilla, Spain
    Grupo de Investigación CAVIDA, Escuela de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, calle 63#6-58, Monteria 230017, Colombia)

  • Ilse Villamil

    (Grupo de Investigación CAVIDA, Escuela de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, calle 63#6-58, Monteria 230017, Colombia)

  • Alicia Uribe

    (Grupo de Investigación CAVIDA, Escuela de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, calle 63#6-58, Monteria 230017, Colombia)

Abstract

War deteriorates the quality of life of the population and profoundly alters social dynamics. We discuss a rural community in northern Colombia whose population was the victim of a massacre and examine the main components that model social cohesion: (a) positive attitudes towards the community, (b) prosocial behaviours and (c) interpersonal relationships. This investigation is a cross-sectional empirical study that includes an analysis of social support networks. The research involved 106 residents, (81.1%, women), with an average age of 42.5 years (standard deviation (SD) = 16.4), who have lived in the community an average 28.8 years (SD = 18.75). Cluster analysis shows that there are two types of personal networks based on homophily and the duration of the ego-alter relationship. The networks that provide the most types of social support shows a moderate level of homophily according to the type of relationship and place of origin and in which the duration of the ego-alter relationship is shorter, compared to networks characterized by high homophily and in which the duration of the ego-alter relationship is longer ( χ 2 = 5.609, p < 0.018). Homophily based on place of residence actively affects the sense of community and social cohesion. Moreover, the sense of community is the variable that most affects social cohesion (β = 0.650; p < 0.001) and is, in turn, determined by prosocial behaviour (β = 0.267; p < 0.006). However, prosocial behaviours do not significantly affect interpersonal relationships or community cohesion. The results are discussed to promote social development strategies aimed at building individual, organizational and community capacity to foster psychosocial well-being in post-war contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Ignacio Ramos-Vidal & Ilse Villamil & Alicia Uribe, 2019. "Underlying Dimensions of Social Cohesion in a Rural Community Affected by Wartime Violence in Colombia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-15, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:2:p:195-:d:196867
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael J. Gilligan & Benjamin J. Pasquale & Cyrus Samii, 2014. "Civil War and Social Cohesion: Lab‐in‐the‐Field Evidence from Nepal," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 58(3), pages 604-619, July.
    2. Carlos Lozares & Joan Verd & Irene Cruz & Oriol Barranco, 2014. "Homophily and heterophily in personal networks. From mutual acquaintance to relationship intensity," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 2657-2670, September.
    3. Cosimo Talò & Terri Mannarini & Alessia Rochira, 2014. "Sense of Community and Community Participation: A Meta-Analytic Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 1-28, May.
    4. Jayawickreme, Nuwan & Mootoo, Candace & Fountain, Christine & Rasmussen, Andrew & Jayawickreme, Eranda & Bertuccio, Rebecca F., 2017. "Post-conflict struggles as networks of problems: A network analysis of trauma, daily stressors and psychological distress among Sri Lankan war survivors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 119-132.
    5. David Schiefer & Jolanda Noll, 2017. "The Essentials of Social Cohesion: A Literature Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 579-603, June.
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