External publications

Inequality and social cohesion in Africa

Burchi, Francesco / Gabriela Zapata-Román
External Publications (2026)

in: Constanze Blum / Ulf Engel / Christi van der Westhuizen (Hrsg.), Routledge Handbook of Social Cohesion in Africa, London: Routledge (Chapter 18)

ISBN: 978-1-00-347365-7
Information

This paper analyses both theoretically and empirically, the relationship between inequality and social cohesion, where social cohesion is conceptualized as a multi-faceted phenomenon encompassing three core attributes: trust, inclusive identity and cooperation for the common good. These attributes operate along two dimensions: the horizontal and the vertical dimension. First, it provides an overview of the empirical evidence regarding the relationship between inequality and the three attributes of social cohesion. While inequality is likely to have a negative effect on all three attributes, the intensity of the relationship may depend on some key mediating factors. The empirical analysis focuses on Africa, given the scarce evidence for this continent. As expected, it shows that countries with higher income inequality usually have lower levels of social cohesion, measured by an aggregate index. This negative correlation holds when the three attributes of social cohesion are examined separately; however, the intensity varies. It is stronger for trust than for identity and cooperation. Further analysis indicates that a clear negative relationship between inequality and social cohesion attributes is visible only when the focus is on the horizontal dimension of social cohesion.

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