Societal Dynamics and Fragility Engaging Societies in Responding to Fragile Situations

by Alexandre, Marc; Willman, Alys; Aslam, Ghazia; Rebosio, Michelle; Balasuriya, Kanishka

• ISBN13: 9780821396568
• ISBN10: 0821396560
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-10-12
• Publisher: World Bank Publications

Summary

Societal Dynamics and Fragility aims to address the social dimensions of fragility. Prepared as a complement to the 2011 World Development Report, this book frames fragility as a problem not only of state capacity, but also of relationships in society. Drawing on analytical work in Liberia, Central African Republic, Yemen, Indonesia (Aceh) and Haiti, it recommends placing social cohesion at the center of development efforts in fragile environments by cultivating an in-depth understanding of the societal dynamics at play in each context and adapting programs to address the sources of division that hinder state building. Specifically, the book advocates a focus on perceptions of injustice at least as much as measurable inequalities, and for creating space to facilitate constructive connections between institutions, especially between customary and state structures as well as often-nascent civil society institutions.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. xiii
Overview	p. 1
Method and Approach	p. 2
Key Findings	p. 3
Operationalizing the Findings: Recommendations for Putting Social Cohesion at the Center of Development Efforts in Fragile Situations	p. 7
References	p. 10
Understanding Fragility	p. 11
Approach of the Study: Seeing Fragility from a Societal Perspective	p. 13
Study Methodology	p. 16
Organization of the Book	p. 18
Notes	p. 19
References	p. 20
Understanding State-Society Connectedness	p. 23
State Building and Citizenship	p. 24
State-Society Interactions	p. 26
Social Cohesion and the State-Society Relationship	p. 31
Notes	p. 32
References	p. 33
Social Cohesion: A Convergence across Groups	p. 39
Understanding Convergence across Groups	p. 40
Convergence and Cohesion	p. 42
Divergence, Bridging Failures, and Bonding Failures	p. 49
Some Societal Dynamics Are Especially Counterproductive to Convergence across Groups	p. 53
Unintended Effects of Economic and Political Factors on Convergence	p. 56
Going Forward: Building Social Cohesion in Fragile Situations	p. 59
Notes	p. 60
References	p. 61
Perceptions of Injustice and Social Cohesion	p. 65
Perceptions of Injustice, Measurable Inequalities, and Intergroup Tensions	p. 66
Different Criteria for Assessing Fairness	p. 67
Contextual Factors Exacerbate Perceptions of Injustice across Groups	p. 72
Notes	p. 84
References	p. 85
Social Cohesion and Interactions between Institutions 89 Constructive Interactions between Customary and State Institutions, arid Social Cohesion	p. 90
Problems Associated with Unconstructive Interactions Observed in the Field	p. 95
The Role of Civil Society in Improving Interactions between Customary and State Institutions	p. 106
Moving Forward: Understanding How Social Cohesion Affects Broader Relationships in Society	p. 110
Notes	p. 110
References	p. 111
Changing Relationships and Social Cohesion	p. 115
Population Movements	p. 116
Generational Relationships	p. 127
Challenges .to Gender Relationships	p. 135
Notes	p. 138
References	p. 139
From Concept to Practice: Fostering Social Cohesion to Reduce Fragility	p. 143
Denning a New Approach: Placing Social Cohesion at the Center of Development Strategies	p. 144
Prioritizing Social Cohesion through a Flexible Programming Approach	p. 147
Creating Space to Support Voice and Mediation between Various Understandings of World and Society	p. 150
Improving Analytical Methods and Tools to Better Assess Societal Dynamics and the Context in Which They Operate	p. 154
Combining Social and Political Analysis	p. 159
Notes	p. 166
References	p. 167
Designing Policies and Programs to Build Social Cohesion	p. 169
Addressing Perceptions of Injustice across Groups	p. 170
Improving Interactions among Institutions	p. 186
Supporting Civil Society in Improving the Relationship between State and Society	p. 193
Strengthening State Capacity to Engage Positively with Society	p. 197
Notes	p. 203
References	p. 203
Background Papers Prepared for This Book	p. 207
Authors and Advisers of the Background Papers	p. 211
Index	p. 213
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