Sociological Perspectives on Social Cohesion as the Principal Requirement for Social Stability

Abstract

Social cohesion is the cornerstone of social relationships, which depend critically on the social systems that determine people’s behaviour. Members of society are defined by their cultural values and beliefs, in terms of which interactions may meet with social approbation or disapprobation. In any society, interactions that draw endorsement from other people are more likely to be welcomed and encouraged, as opposed to interactions that elicit disapproval within the social structure. This article is intended to clarify the concept of social cohesion by reviewing its inherent dimensions in context with the sociological perspectives exemplified in O. E. H. M. Nxumalo’s short story, Lo mngcwabo ngowabakhethiweyo (This Funeral Is for the Chosen Ones). The dimensional notion of social cohesion is considered in light of sociological approaches that are prominent in the ongoing critical debate around social relations in context with religion as a pivotal agent in establishing social cohesion and stability within a broader society. At present, religion is considered a belief system that shapes people’s thinking and world view, and by the same token serves as a social institution that mediates social action as an expression of how people use beliefs and practices to attribute meaning to their existence.