IN FOCUS

How to Measure Social Cohesion
in Latin America?

São Paulo, Brazil
Photo: Flickr, Bruno Farias

A new ECLAC book reviews the concepts and indicators used to measure social cohesion in the region, exploring the feasibility of including factors such as the environment, urban residential segregation and new information technologies in its measurement.

The publication also examines the feasibility of creating a summary index of social cohesion for the region and suggests a list of key indicators of social cohesion.

The book “Social Cohesion in Latin America: A Review of Concepts, Frames of Reference and Indicators” is the result of a series of efforts focused on validating the conceptual and methodological tools to analyze social cohesion at a regional level.

The publication contains the results of research conducted within the framework of the project “Measuring Social Cohesion in Latin America”, carried out by the Division of Statistics and Economic Projections, with the cooperation of the European Commission.

The project sought to improve the conceptual and operational frameworks for measuring social cohesion and continue advancing in the installation of the issue in government agendas. In this aim, the project included research and consultant work, broadening the database of indicators of social cohesion with information from the European Union and holding regional workshops and seminars for discussion and raising awareness.

ECLAC has taken important steps to make social cohesion an applicable tool in the design of public policies in the region, proposing a concept of social cohesion and implementing a system of indicators to measure it.

ECLAC initially defined social cohesion as the relationship between the mechanisms of inclusion/exclusion and the perceptions and reactions to how these mechanisms operated. Within the framework of this project, the concept was conceived in terms of public policies. Under this new perspective, social cohesion is understood as the capacity of institutions to reduce social gaps in a sustainable way and with citizen support (sense of belonging).

In consequence, new indicators were selected in three general areas: social gaps (the material living conditions of groups and communities deprived of access to their basic rights and opportunities to develop their potential), institutional capacity (the actions of different institutions that can have an effect on opportunities and in the processes and results of inclusion/exclusion) and citizen support (adherence to the political system and the socioeconomic order).

KEY INDICATORS OF SOCIAL COHESION

GAPS

INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY

CITIZEN SUPPORT

1. Percentage of people under the poverty line
2. Ratio between income quintiles
3. Open unemployment rate
4. Urban employed in low-productivity sectors
5. Ratio of salaries between genders and per educational level
6. Employed who contribute to social security
7. Percentage of high school graduates
8. Net rate of pre-school registration
9. Child mortality rate
10. Life expectancy
11. Population in state of malnutrition
12. Population with access to improved, safe potable water

1. Percentage of women in Parliament
2. Corruption index
3. Per capita social public spending
4. Percentage representing the tax burden in relation to GDP
5. Per capita GDP
6. Inflation rate
7. Percentage of women 15 and over exclusively dedicated to housework

1. Support for democracy
2. Confidence in State institutions and political parties
3. Perception of justice in income distribution
4. Perception of tax burden
5. Confidence in the quality of public expenditures
6. Percentage of population that believes their children will live better

Source: Juan Carlos Feres and Pablo Villatoro, “Towards a Nucleus of Key Indicators of Social Cohesion. One Step Back, Two Forward”, in ECLAC, “Social Cohesion in Latin America. A Review of Concepts, Frames of Reference and Indicators” (pages 185-219), Santiago, 2010.

Installing the issue of social cohesion in the public agenda of the region, making sure that institutions foment inclusion with belonging and respect for diversity, is one of ECLAC’s key purposes. The Commission’s accumulated knowledge should be transmitted to countries so that policy-makers may incorporate a social cohesion approach in their plans and decisions.

In this aim, it may be useful to create a work programme to establish basic skills for monitoring social cohesion within each country and the preparation of national reports on social cohesion.

* by the Division of Statistics and Economic Projections

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  ECLAC has taken important steps to make social cohesion an applicable tool in the design of public policies in the region.
 
  The publication explores the feasibility of broadening the concept of social cohesion to include factors like the environment and urban residential segregation.