What is social cohesion?

I have been thinking about what to write for this column for a while. About three months, to be precise. And the reason is not a lack of topics to discuss, like more course evaluations, internationalization, or the Bobblehead impersonating a president, but having enough time and attention to write something substantive that could fit within six hundred words. Spoiled for choice, sure, but I am also tired of bad news, both consuming it and sharing it.

So I thought, why don't we talk about social cohesion? You may not be familiar with the term; I was not until last year when I joined a research consortium called SOCION (the "c" is pronounced with a "k" sound, and yes, this was important to know). As described in the consortium's successful funding application for a major NWO grant, social cohesion "is ‘society’s fabric’ that is key to sustainable societies and citizens’ wellbeing. It is increasingly undermined by erosion of and polarization between communities, factions and groups." 

A few keywords struck me: "sustainable", "wellbeing", "erosion", and "polarization". To me, sustainable means thinking long term, and a community's wellbeing should be the norm and not the exception. Both erosion and polarization remind me of entropy and things falling apart. In other words, what is the magic or special sauce that helps us come together?

And it came to me from the unlikeliest source of inspiration (no, it's not the Roman empire, even if it would be unlikely to inspire me as well): the recent 60th Super Bowl tournament (LX for our history and classics students). Held in the San Francisco Bay area, which had surprisingly good weather and non-apocalyptic streets, this game is the most watched (or streamed) event in the United States each year. Companies spend millions to advertise seconds-long commercials. There is a halftime show that features the who's-who of pop singing in a Vegas-worthy spectacle. Apparently, there is betting on who will get chosen to perform and which songs they will sing (not kidding). Oh, there are also two teams of giant men hitting each other on artificial grass while chasing an olive-shaped ball. And, of course, more betting on the winning team.

It would be an understatement to say that I'm not a fan, and was completely uninterested in all of the above until I read some news about the halftime show. The uber-singer Bad Bunny performed it, entirely in Spanish, accompanied by dancers dressed as farm workers and tradespeople, and (spoiler alert) closing with an emphatic clarification of what being an American means. It means being Venezuelan, Canadian, Colombian, Brazilian, Mexican, Dominican Republican, Argentinian, and everyone in between. Every country in the Americas has Americans, and all are also found in the United States, which is just one of many kinds. And being Puerto Rican, which Bad Bunny is, means being American not just in geography but also in US legal fact. That the entire show was so slickly produced was maybe predictable, but the content and visual imagery, coupled with the joyousness of the performers, were not. I was genuinely moved watching it and thought, yeah, that is the America I still recognize and identify with.

And then it clicked, what social cohesion meant. Instead of looking for differences among people, what is it that brings them together? What do we share in our experiences; how can we laugh and play together? I imagine that many of the millions of spectators watching would not understand the Spanish lyrics or recognize the references to Hispanic cultures, but they could still feel the beat with their feet and smile because everyone else was smiling (hint: it is contagious). Even if the entire performance was less than fourteen minutes, it felt good to be reminded of people's stories, our shared struggles. and the hope that we could be brought together.

Watch the show and see for yourself.