Social Cohesion: The Missing Link in overcoming Violence and Inequality

STATUS: Completed
PROJECT LEADER:Barolsky, VE (Dr Vanessa)
OTHER TEAM MEMBERS: Govender, K (Ms Koshen), Davids, YD (Dr Derek), Khalema, E (Prof. Nene), Yu, K (Dr Ke Yu), Mamba, BM (Ms Busi), Krishnan, EM (Ms Estelle), Roberts, BJ (Dr Benjamin), Pienaar, GD (Adv Gary), Seabe, D.S. (Ms Dineo), Sanchez Betancourt, DC (Ms Diana)
DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)

Abstract

The overall purpose of the project is to deepen our knowledge of violence, and consequently our ability to respond to it in Cities in the Global South by focusing on Social Cohesion as a way of understanding the links between poverty, inequality and violence. The study focuses on two cities in the Global South: Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro, which have comparative levels of violence and inequality. It is running over a 32 month period and uses a mixed methods approach to analyse the linkages between violence and social cohesion. In particular it will focus on two major interventions to address violence in Rio (Pacifying Police Units) and Cape Town (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading) using in-depth ethnographic methodologies to study their impact on violence and social cohesion. Theories about social cohesion and its link to violence have primarily been developed and tested in the ???north???. This study aims to address this knowledge gap and make relevant policy recommendations. The project is funded by the Canadian funder, (IDRC) in Canada. We are also working with partners at University of Rio de Janeiro and Oxford university.

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