Abstract
This chapter demonstrates the applicability of the Social Cohesion Radar to a level of geopolitical organization below the national one, namely the regional level. We take the case of Germany, as a federal republic of 16 federal states (Bundesländer). Applying the same conceptualization of cohesion (see Chap. 1) and virtually the same methodology (see Chap. 2), we pursue the same research questions as in the previously presented international comparison. The results point to a clear division along the lines of the former West and East Germany, with all former East German federal states exhibiting a lower level of social cohesion. Just as on the national level, social cohesion on the regional level is a fairly stable phenomenon across time. Affluence, lower spread of poverty, urbanization, a more age-homogeneous composition of the population, as well as ethnic diversity foster the degree of regional cohesion. Cultural aspects and values do not seem to have an effect. In turn, social cohesion boosts both the aggregate level of subjective well-being across the federal states and that of individuals. Moreover, it is the resource-poorer groups of society that particularly benefit more from higher cohesion at the regional level.
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Notes
- 1.
Until 1990 one part of Berlin belonged to West Germany and another to East Germany.
- 2.
The questionnaire item reads: “All in all, how would you describe your state of health these days? Would you say it is… very good, good, fair, poor, very poor”.
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Dragolov, G., Ignácz, Z.S., Lorenz, J., Delhey, J., Boehnke, K., Unzicker, K. (2016). A Case Study: Social Cohesion in Germany. In: Social Cohesion in the Western World. SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32464-7_7
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