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A Multilevel Measurement Model of Social Cohesion

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  • Gianmaria Bottoni

    (“La Sapienza” Università di Roma)

Abstract

In spite of its currency both in academic research and political rhetoric, there are numerous attempts to define and conceptualize the social cohesion concept but there has been paid little attention to provide a rigorous and empirically tested definition. There are even fewer studies that address social cohesion in a framework of cross-cultural validation of the indicators testing the equivalence of the factorial structure across countries. Finally, as far as we know there is no study that attempt to provide an empirically tested multilevel definition of social cohesion specifying a Multilevel Structural Equation Model. This study aims to cover this gap. First, we provide a theoretical construct of social cohesion taking into account not only its multidimensionality but also its multilevel structure. In the second step, to test the validity of this theoretical construct, we perform a multilevel confirmatory factor analysis in order to verify if the conceptual structure suggested in first step holds. In addition, we test the cross-level structural equivalence and the measurement invariance of the model in order to verify if the same multilevel model of social cohesion holds across the 29 countries analysed. In the final step, we specify a second-order multilevel CFA model in order to identify the existence of a general factor that can be called “social cohesion” operating in society that accounts for the surface phenomena that we observe.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianmaria Bottoni, 2018. "A Multilevel Measurement Model of Social Cohesion," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 835-857, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:136:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1470-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1470-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Dickes & Marie Valentova, 2013. "Construction, Validation and Application of the Measurement of Social Cohesion in 47 European Countries and Regions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 827-846, September.
    2. Fernando Rajulton & Zenaida Ravanera & Roderic Beaujot, 2007. "Measuring Social Cohesion: An Experiment using the Canadian National Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 80(3), pages 461-492, February.
    3. Regina Berger-Schmitt, 2002. "Considering Social Cohesion in Quality of Life Assessments: Concept and Measurement," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 403-428, June.
    4. Paul Dickes & Marie Valentova & Monique Borsenberger, 2010. "Construct Validation and Application of a Common Measure of Social Cohesion in 33 European Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 98(3), pages 451-473, September.
    5. William Meredith, 1993. "Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 58(4), pages 525-543, December.
    6. Gérard Duhaime & Edmund Searles & Peter Usher & Heather Myers & Pierre Fréchette, 2004. "Social Cohesion and Living Conditions in the Canadian Arctic: From Theory to Measurement," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 66(3), pages 295-318, May.
    7. Sophia Rabe-Hesketh & Anders Skrondal & Andrew Pickles, 2004. "Generalized multilevel structural equation modeling," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 69(2), pages 167-190, June.
    8. Joseph Chan & Ho-Pong To & Elaine Chan, 2006. "Reconsidering Social Cohesion: Developing a Definition and Analytical Framework for Empirical Research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 273-302, January.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Marek Walesiak & Grażyna Dehnel, 2020. "The Measurement of Social Cohesion at Province Level in Poland Using Metric and Interval-Valued Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Snower, Dennis J., 2019. "Toward global paradigm change: Beyond the crisis of the liberal world order," Economics Discussion Papers 2019-6, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Marek Walesiak & Grażyna Dehnel, 2023. "A Measurement of Social Cohesion in Poland’s NUTS2 Regions in the Period 2010–2019 by Applying Dynamic Relative Taxonomy to Interval-Valued Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    6. Anna Busłowska & Jacek Marcinkiewicz, 2023. "Social Cohesion of Functional Urban Areas (Example of Eastern Poland)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 451-473, June.
    7. Yalda Hashemi Ghoochani & Hashem Dadashpoor, 2023. "Socio-Spatial Cohesion: A Study of Structural, Interactive, and Subjective Dimensions in Mashhad Metropolitan Region, Iran," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 843-866, February.
    8. Dubey, Rameshwar & Gunasekaran, Angappa & Childe, Stephen J. & Roubaud, David & Fosso Wamba, Samuel & Giannakis, Mihalis & Foropon, Cyril, 2019. "Big data analytics and organizational culture as complements to swift trust and collaborative performance in the humanitarian supply chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 120-136.
    9. Snower, Dennis J., 2019. "Toward global paradigm change: Beyond the crisis of the liberal world order," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 13, pages 1-19.
    10. Sarita Silveira & Martin Hecht & Hannah Matthaeus & Mazda Adli & Manuel C. Voelkle & Tania Singer, 2022. "Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceived Changes in Psychological Vulnerability, Resilience and Social Cohesion before, during and after Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-30, March.

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