The Politics of Social Cohesion

for their insightful and thought-provoking comments on my book, The Politics of Social Cohesion: Immigration, Community, and Justice.Very briefly, in the book I discuss a common worry, namely that immigration poses a threat to social cohesion, and thus to the social unity that underpins cooperation, stable democratic institutions, and a robust welfare state.At the heart of this worry is the suggestion that social cohesion requires a shared identity at the societal level.As regards social cohesion, I focus in particular on generalized trust (trust in strangers) and redistributive solidarity.This is because these are generally thought to be especially important for the implementation of egalitarian justice.I consider in greater detail the impact of immigration on social cohesion and egalitarian redistribution.First, I critically scrutinize an influential argument, according to which immigration leads to ethnic diversity, which again tends to undermine trust and solidarity, and thus the social basis for redistribution.According to this argument, immigration should be severely restricted.And second, I consider the suggestion that, in response to worries about immigration, states should promote a shared identity in their citizenry.I argue that the effects of immigration on social cohesion need not compromise social justice, and that core principles of liberty and equality not only form the normative basis for just policies of immigration and integration but, as a matter of empirical fact, are also the values that, if shared, are most likely to produce the social cohesion among community members that provides the social basis for implementing justice.