Social Cohesion is a state in society in which the vast majority of citizens respect the law, one another's human rights and values, and share a commitment to retain social order.

Social Cohesion and laws

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Achieving Social Cohesion is one of the functions of laws, which allow for conflict resolution through democratic and institutional processes.

For Social Cohesion to be achieved, laws must be able to:

• Set acceptable standards of behaviour and consequences to punish those that engage in unacceptable behaviour
• Protect fundamental human rights such as the presumption of innocence
• Create institutions of government that can create laws, enforce laws and adjudicate disputes that arise as a result of individuals breaking the law
• Facilitate the orderly transition from one generation to the next

Social Cohesion and uncertainty

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The degree of Social Cohesion in society determines society's response to fears and uncertainty in unstable economic and challenging social times.