- Research Area A |
- Research Area B |
- Research Area C |
- Research Area D
Research Area A investigates how the state of social cohesion influences political processes. Central to this inquiry is the question of how the crisis of democracy is related to changes in cohesion: Is it a consequence of declining cohesion? Or is the loss of trust in democracy itself the cause of the cohesion crisis?
A key concept in our research is democratic cohesion. We define democratic cohesion as forms of cohesion that are based on democratic experiences, practices, and principles and that generate a shared identity and norms of social interaction from those foundations. Examples include trust in democratic institutions, experiences of participation, and fundamental democratic values such as tolerance and equality. Democratic cohesion is especially vital for democracies because it does not exclude individuals based on their origin or culture. At the same time, it is especially precarious – it begins to erode when trust in democracy declines.
Guiding Questions of the Research Area
We examine how crises of democracy and democratic cohesion are related and how political and civil society responses to these crises are shaped by social cohesion. This investigation unfolds through three interrelated perspectives:
The Crisis of Democracy as the Cause of the Cohesion Crisis:
To what extent is the crisis of cohesion a consequence of democratic failure? Are increasing conflicts and political polarization a reaction to the perception that democratic institutions are no longer capable of solving pressing problems?
The Crisis of Democracy as the Result of a Cohesion Crisis:
What role do changes in cohesion play in the current crisis of democracy? Is democracy less effective because society is more polarized and cohesion has weakened?
Responses to crises:
How important is cohesion for managing political crises and supporting civil society engagement? Under what conditions do states actively promote social cohesion?
This focus investigates the foundations of democratic cohesion. The work packages explore what specifically constitutes democratic cohesion, how it should be normatively assessed, and how it relates to the performance of democratic institutions.
Associated work packages:
A_01 Democratic cohesion between inclusion and exclusion ...
A_02 Trust in democracy, populism and voting behavior in times of transformation
This focus area examines how political institutions respond to crises of cohesion. We ask why democracies, autocracies, or international organizations adopt measures to strengthen cohesion. Our premise is that political institutions are particularly likely to pursue cohesion policy when they perceive their legitimacy to be at risk.
Associated work packages:
A_03 Polarization and political legitimacy
A_04 Policies of social cohesion in Africa ...
A_05 Social cohesion in China - traditions and new challenges
This focus area studies how social cohesion interacts with political participation outside formal channels such as parties and elections. Civil society participation has grown in importance as many state institutions are viewed as ineffective. We ask what role cohesion plays in civil society participation and protest, and how these forms of engagement affect democracy.
Associated work packages:
A_06 Local protests and cohesion in a European comparison
A_07 Ecological transformation and anti-democratic crisis mobilization
A_08 Democratic participation in the world of work between compromise and conflict
This research focus investigates how social differences are politicized and what consequences this has for cohesion and democratic processes. Under what conditions do topics such as gender, climate policy, or support for Ukraine spark social conflicts that lead to the formation of new political camps?
Associated work packages:
A_09 Politicized gender issues between voting behaviour and online communication
Knowledge Transfer in the Research Area
The transfer activities of Research Area A aim to engage with stakeholders from politics, media, civic education, and civil society on the themes of our research. This is not only about communicating our findings but also about integrating feedback from practice.
Under the guiding theme “Distancing from Democracy,” we focus attention on the growing alienation from democratic principles. Four central questions shape this discourse, aligned with our research priorities:
What rules does cohesion require?
Can democracy function without cohesion?
How does protest affect cohesion?
Where (if anywhere) is society dividing?
To explore these questions, we rely on a variety of formats: public discussion events, interactive websites, workshops with multipliers, and forums that link scholarly expertise with political responsibility.