Section outline

    • Students must
      Mark as done
      Key unit competence: To be able to make decisions that promote

      social cohesion in practical situations.

      Introduction

      General Studies and Communication Skills is a subject concerned with
      equipping the students with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes for
      successful interaction with others and the environment in and out of school.
      It borrows content from many other subjects and consolidates it in a way
      that promotes and supports Rwanda National Policies and offers Peace and
      Value Education.
      As a subject, it equips students with a deep understanding of culture, science
      and society. This will enable the student to make a meaningful and innovative
      contribution to the nation in a way that conserves and replenishes the natural
      environment, recognises and respects the cultural dynamics and upholds the
      values that have shaped their society over time.

      In this unit, we will study life in the society focusing on peace and conflicts.
      In particular, we will explain the concept of social cohesion as a promoter
      of peace and discuss the factors that promote it. We will also identify the
      possible challenges to social cohesion. At the end, you will be required to

      suggest possible ways of addressing these challenges.
      As a topic, social cohesion is similar to unity as studied in History and
      Citizenship. It is also related to the topic of unity in diversity which is studied
      in Religion. Content in the topics in the two subjects can be useful in this

      topic.

      Objectives of General Studies and Communication Skills

      Activity 1

      From the introduction above, what do you think are the objectives of
      learning General Studies and Communication Skills? Write them down
      and then present them to the class.

      You have no doubt come up with some objectives for learning General Studies
      and Communication Skills. See whether you have captured the following.
      General Studies and Communication Skills enables the learners to:
      i. Acquire values and attitudes that will help them to promote justice,
      peace and stability in the society for sustainable development of the
      country.
      ii. Acquire skills and competences that they can apply in addressing the
      socio-economic, financial, political, environmental and gender issues
      affecting them and their society.

      iii. Develop communication skills that will help them to express ideas and
      opinions in a reflective and academic manner.
      iv. Acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will prepare them
      for higher education, work and life in a competitive society.

      v. Get a deeper understanding of global issues and challenges and
      therefore appreciate the need for national, regional and international
      cooperation in solving these challenges for the good of the human race.
      vi. Increase the appreciation of their culture and that of others, the

      environment, the society as well as its values and norms.

      1.1 The concept of social cohesion

      1. What is happening in this picture?
      r2. What can make people to work
      together as shown in this picture?
      3. What do we call the harmony and
      good relationship among members

      of a group or society?






      From the activity above, you have seen members of different groups working
      together harmoniously. There seemed to be a good relationship among the

      members. This good relationship acts as a bond linking people together
      for better growth. This bond among members of a group or society can be
      termed as cohesion. The overall good relationship that makes people in a
      group or society to work together and relate well with one another is called
      social cohesion.

      Social cohesion balances individual rights against those of society and
      appreciates that a good relationship enables people to respect each other’s
      values. Therefore, it works towards the well being of all its members. For
      example, it fights exclusions and marginalisation and creates a sense of
      belonging. It also offers members of the group or society the opportunity for
      upward mobility. This promotes peace and unity and results in both individual
      and national development
      .
      This can be seen when men and women work together in communal work

      such as when building a house as seen in the picture below.

      j

      People working together to build a house
      In the picture on page 4, working together promotes cooperation which
      leads to social cohesion. Other examples of activities that promote social
      cohesion in the society include small micro-finance groups, prayer groups,

      team activities such as playing football or volleyball.

      Exercise 1

      Choose two examples that demonstrate social cohesion in your
      community. Make a presentation to the class to explain how they are

      examples of social cohesion

      1.2 The factors of social cohesion

      Activity 3

      In 1994 after the genocide against the Tutsi, cohesion among the people
      of Rwanda was negatively affected. Today, Rwandans have rebuilt this
      social cohesion. Discuss with your friend the factors that promote social
      cohesion in Rwanda and indicate how
      You have identified many things that promote social cohesion in Rwanda.
      These can be referred to as factors of social cohesion. They include:

      i. Society norms
      ii. Positive values
      iii. Human rights
      iv. Religious values
      v. National and humanistic values
      vi. Active listening
      vii. Empathy

      viii. Active bystandership

      Let us now study the elements of each of these factors.

      1. Society norms

      In every social group there are norms defining the appropriate behaviour
      within the society, for example, how students behave in class, how to live
      with neighbours, how to behave in public etc. Failure to follow these norms
      may lead to a consequence such as being rejected in the society. However,
      norms change according to environment or situation and may change over

      time.

      Activity 4

      1. What society norm is shown in
      jthis picture?
      2. What are some of the society
      norms that have changed over

      time in your community?





      2. Positive values

      Suppose you are travelling home from school. On the way, an old woman
      gets into the bus and finds all seats occupied. You are the only young person
      in that bus. How would you react to this situation?
      In the situation above, your conscience is likely to push you into standing
      for the old woman to sit down. This is because you may feel obliged to show
      respect for the elderly. This is a positive value. Indeed, positive values are like
      a compass direction: they help point the way to critical and logical thinking.
      We often demonstrate positive values in different ways. For example, by
      solving problems that affect others, helping those in need, having a sense
      of responsibility in what we do, being honest or even being caring to others.

      All these positive values contribute to social cohesion

      Remember!

      One rotten tomato spoils the whole basket. One person with a negative
      attitude and values can disrupt social cohesion in a community. Guard

      your values.

      Activity 5

      Imagine you come from a big family where your siblings are always
      fighting over the limited resources left by your parents. How would you

      use positive values to help stop the infighting among the siblings?

      3. Human rights

      Activity 6

      1. What children’s rights have been violated
      lin this picture?
      2. How can this violation of human rights

      hinder social cohesion?


      In your discussion, you may have observed that as much as you are required
      to work hard in your studies, there is some time spared for breakfast, lunch
      and games? This is because each person is entitled to basic needs such as
      food, clothing and shelter. As a child, you are also entitled to play. Similarly
      your parents send you to school because you have right to education.
      Human rights point to us how to relate with others. When a person’s human
      rights are respected, that person is likely to live in peace with others. Upholding
      human rights also helps us to respect and appreciate others. This creates an

      enabling atmosphere for personal as well as national development.

      Activity 7

      How does upholding of human rights promote social cohesion?

      4. Religious values

      Activity 8

      1. What religions are represented in the pictures below?
      2. What are some of the common religious values advocated by the two
      religions?
      3. How can these religious values promote unity among members of the

      society?

      ;

      Though each religion has its own religious teachings and practices, such as
      different dress codes, worship of different supreme beings etc, the values
      promoted by the different religions are mostly the same. For example,
      Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity have different religious teachings
      but they all encourage the religious values of love for fellow human beings,
      honesty in dealing with others, showing care and concern for the needy and
      living a righteous life. These values, and others, are drawn from the teachings
      of each religion.
      These religious values make a person embrace others and desire to live
      harmoniously with them. This translates to social cohesion hence unity
      which promotes self growth and national development.
      Exercise 2
      1. Outline five religious values that are advocated for by your religion.
      2. What are some of the things that you cannot do because of your
      religion?
      3. How does your religion affect your relationship with others?
      5. National and humanistic values
      These are the values that are promoted by the government and those which
      are expected from all of us as human beings. They include:
      a. Resilience
      Resilience is the ability of a person or society to recover quickly from difficult
      situations. A good example here is the story of Rwanda. Though faced with
      the unfortunate happening of the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 where
      many Tutsi people were murdered, the country has sprung back to the
      path of national development, economic growth and national healing and
      reconciliation. As a result, the people of Rwanda now live in peace. Indeed,
      Rwanda is today known to be one of the most peaceful countries in the
      world. This has happened due to the strong spirit of resilience among the
      Rwanda people and leadership. Resilience is thus an important national value

      in Rwanda which promotes social cohesion.

      Remember!

      Unforgiveness, bitterness and genocidal ideologies are enemies of a
      nation’s peace, unity and development. Embrace peace, forgiveness and

      brotherliness.

      Activity 9

      Explain the ways in which the people of Rwanda have shown resilience.

      b. Benevolence

      Activity 10

      Try to think of a time when you were in need and somebody helped you
      without asking for any compensation or favour. Share your experience
      with a friend.
      Benevolence is the act or quality of being kind to others. A benevolent person
      is kind and helpful to others. He/she strives to meet the needs of others
      without expecting anything in return. In Activity 10 above, you have given
      examples of people who helped without asking for any compensation or
      favour. Their actions can be termed as benevolence. No doubt their actions
      brought you closer to them. In the same way, benevolence helps people in
      the society to become brotherly and to live in harmony. This promotes social

      cohesion.

      Activity 11

      1. Study the picture below about the story of the Good Samaritan in the

      Bible.

      ;

      The good samaritan helping a stranger

      2. How can the actions of the Good Samaritan be applicable to Rwandans?

      c. Repentance

      Repentance is the act of expressing sincere regret about one’s wrongdoing
      or sin. It is mostly done when asking for forgiveness. It can be done in church,
      to a friend or to anyone whom you have wronged. Repentance sets you free
      and restores your human dignity. It takes away feelings of bitterness between
      or among people in the society. This restores good relations thus promoting

      social cohesion.

      Activity 12

      Explain the benefits of repentance.

      d. Forgiveness

      Forgiveness is the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. When
      you are forgiven, you feel free to relate with the person who forgave you.
      When you forgive, you release yourself from bitterness and therefore you
      can embrace those who had wronged you. This fosters good relationship
      among members of the society thereby fostering social cohesion.
      It is good to note that we forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness

      but because we deserve peace.

      Activity 13

      Narrate to the class how forgiveness has helped you or other people you
      know start living happily with others who had wronged them.

      e. Reconciliation

      Reconciliation is the act or process of restoring friendly relations between two
      or more people or groups of people. This means that the people had enmity
      between them or a feeling of bitterness towards each other. Reconciliation
      helps to drive away the feelings of hatred and bitterness and replaces them
      with love and friendliness.

      Previously we discussed Genocide and Genocide ideologies that occurred
      in Rwanda in 1994. Imagine how the government has helped bring people
      together hence creating peace among neighbours. This builds better
      relationships between communities and restores mutual respect between
      individuals or communities after a conflict. The result of this is social

      cohesion.

      Activity 14

      1. Discuss the different measures that the government has put in place
      to promote reconciliation among people living in different places in

      Rwanda.

      2. How effective have these measures been?

      f. Consensus-building

      Activity 15

      1. In groups, create an object of your choice from improvised materials
      given to you by the teacher.
      2. How did you agree on the object to improvise? Explain.
      From the activity above, you realise that it was not easy to agree on what
      to improvise. This was because each one of you had a different opinion.
      In order to agree on one thing, each one of you had to communicate his/
      her ideas, negotiate with the others and cooperate in making a decision on
      whose idea was the best for the activity. This process of coming up with a
      conclusion agreeable to all parties after many opinions have been given is
      known as consensus building.
      Consensus building involves considering the input of every member of the
      group and collectively crafting an outcome that best meets the needs of the
      group with the least opposition from a majority of the members.
      During consensus building, people must work together. This promotes
      cooperation among the members of the group. This cooperation cultivates
      a good working relationship which promotes peace and unity in the group.
      Also, different ideas are suggested then analysed critically so as to come
      up with the best decision. This builds up the skills of critical thinking and
      problem solving. These help members to make decisions that are informed,
      most appropriate for their circumstances and which are acceptable to all.
      This builds commitment from all members hence leading to oneness that

      promotes social cohesion.

      Exercise 3

      1. Explain some of the challenges of consensus building.

      2. How can we overcome these challenges?

      6. Active listening

      Activity 16

      In pairs, discuss your favourite game. After the discussion, answer the
      following questions:
      1. Who between you interrupted the other while speaking?
      2. Who was attentively listening to the other?
      From the activity above, those who were able to listen attentively without
      interrupting the speaker are the active listeners. Active listening is the ability
      to listen attentively and not just hearing. It is important to practise active
      listening because it assists in identifying a problem, identifying the cause
      of the problem and finding a solution to a problem. It also allows others to
      express their opinion freely and frankly.
      In active listening, one must show interest in the subject matter, try to
      understand the speaker and respond only when necessary without interrupting
      the speaker. The result of active listening in social cohesion.
      Activity 17
      What are these people doing?
      kWith your partner, role-play a conversation where

      two people are arguing.





      7. Inclusiveness

      Inclusiveness is the act of involving all interested parties in a matter and
      listening to the views of each one of them. It is important to involve all
      members of the society, regardless of their social status, in making decisions
      on issues that affect them. When this happens, every person feels appreciated.
      They also feel that their opinions matter and that they are important
      members of the group. This promotes trust and mutual respect among all
      the members thereby promoting good relations among them. This results in
      social cohesion.
      Inclusiveness should be embraced in education, at the work place and in the
      activities that a society engages in. This results in a more harmonious society
      and thus a peaceful and united nation.

      Inclusion is not simply physical presence. It is about intentionally planning
      for the success of everyone. This can be done at the work place, in school, in

      the village as well as at the national level.

      Activity 18

      1. Explain ways in which your school is inclusive.

      2. How does this promote social cohesion in the school?

      8. Empathy

      Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
      This is especially when the people you are empathising with are going through
      difficult times. This makes the person feel valued and cared for even when
      little help has been given to them. As a result, they get close to those showing

      empathy. This results in friendly relations and therefore social cohesion.

      Activity 19

      1. Tell a story of how someone once showed empathy to you.

      2. How did this make you feel about the person?

      9. Active bystandership

      Bystandership refers to the act of watching without extending any help as
      a victim goes through a bad situation. In active bystandership, the person
      witnessing what is happening intervenes in a way to solve the problem of
      the victim. He/she is active and not just passive. Though he/she may not
      actually offer a workable solution, his/ her intervention shows the victim
      that someone is concerned about what he/ she is going through. This makes
      it easy for the victim to reach out to those helping him/ her in a bid to get a
      workable solution. At the end, good relations are established thus fostering

      social cohesion. The following are the steps to active bystandership.

      i. Notice what is happening around you.
      ii. Interpret whether it is an emergency that needs intervention or help.
      iii. Imagine yourself in the situation of the person in need of help
      (empathise).

      iv. Intervene in the situation. This can be done by:

      • Interrupting the harmful situation yourself;
      • Interrupting and disrupting the people involved;
      • Involving others around you;
      • Calling the police or the administration.

      When intervening, remember to:
      • Approach everyone as a friend;
      • Avoid being controversial or antagonistic;
      • Avoid using violence;
      • Be as honest and direct as possible;

      • Keep yourself safe.

      Activity 20

      Imagine you found your friend copying homework from your classmate.
      Describe different ways in which you can practise active bystandership in

      this situation. Show how you would judge when and whether to intervene

      1.3 Ways in which factors of social cohesion can hinder social

      cohesion

      1. Human Rights

      Sometimes the basic, human rights are not respected by the community or those
      in power. Also, those who are supposed to enjoy the rights sometimes fail to
      fulfill their responsibilities. This may happen because the culture of the people
      may not agree with the right being pursued. This can lead to social problems.
      For example, the right to self expression can be used by some politicians to bring

      hatred between different groups. This can lead to breakdown of social cohesion.

      Activity 21

      1. Identify any instances in your community where human rights were
      violated.
      2. Did that cause any social problems? Explain your answer
      2. Religious values and views
      Previously we discovered that among the factors influencing social cohesion
      was religious views and values. However, it is clear that sometimes the same
      factors that should build social cohesion instead pull it down.
      In some cases, religious views can result in intolerance. Such intolerance can
      easily work against social cohesion as different religious groups opt to keep
      to themselves. For example, if a muslim considers a christian as an infidel,

      this can cause bad feelings between muslims and christians

      3. Inclusiveness

      Activity 22

      Imagine you are the executive secretary of your village and there is a
      community event supposed to happen. The suggestions for the food to
      be prepared includes pork. This is because most of the residents enjoy
      it and you intend to practise inclusiveness. How would you handle the

      Muslims to avoid hurting them?

      It is important to note that if inclusiveness isn’t well managed, it can
      lead to conflicts in society. So those in leadership are required to make
      decisions that will build cohesion but still uphold inclusiveness. This

      comes with wisdom and discretion.

      4. Societal norms

      Activity 23

      Compare greetings in African culture with those of most European
      countries. What are the major differences? How can these destroy social
      cohesion?
      A group’s culture dictates the way they live. In Africa, greetings are part of
      the ways of reaching out to others. Greetings in Africa will mostly involve
      shaking hands. This brings some form of warmth and closeness. However,
      this may be mistaken as being intrusive in most western countries.
      Similarly, hugs and pecks on the cheeks are common in the western
      countries. In Africa, these may not be accepted and whichmay cause one
      to be avoided. Thus, some societal norms in one society may be a cause

      of disunity if applied in another society.

      1.4 Challenges to social cohesion

      1. Individualism

      Activity 24

      Think of people who have a habit of not working with others but prefer
      doing things on their own. What reasons do they give for this behaviour?
      The people you have talked about in Activity 24 above can be said to practise
      individualism. Individualism is the habit or principle of being independent
      from others and being self-reliant. It makes an individual to avoid others and
      do things on his/her own. This limits cooperation with other members of the
      society and thus can hinder social cohesion.

      Individualism can also be used to refer to a social theory that advocates for
      freedom of action for an individual over collective or state control. Whenever
      this is practised, it makes people to be self-centred. They have no regard or
      empathy for others. A society that practises individualism is likely to embrace
      bystandership as well. This is because no one cares for the other. This is an

      hindrance to national unity and social cohesion.

      2. Discrimination

      Activity 25

      1. Think of an occasion when someone tried to treat you differently
      from the others especially in an unjustified way. How did this make
      you feel?
      2. How easy was it for you to interact with that person after this incident?
      Explain your answer.

      The act of treating someone differently from others and in an unjustified
      way as you explained in Activity 25 above is referred to as discrimination.
      Discrimination can happen due to differences in social status, sex, age, tribe,
      nationality or skin colour. The person discriminated against feels unwanted.
      This reduces the person’s ability and motivation to relate well with those
      discriminating against him/ her. As a result, the person may pull himself/
      herself out of the group and adopt individualistic tendencies.

      Any form of discrimination is bad. For example, gender discrimination
      in the work place hinders good relations between men and women in the
      workplace. This eventually spills over to the entire society, creating social
      barriers between males and females. Discrimination hinders social cohesion
      and national unity.
      As Sharron Angle said, “There is a plan and a purpose, a value to every life

      no matter its location, gender or disability.” Embrace everyone!

      3. Social injustice

      Activity 26

      Think of a situation where you tried expressing your opinion on something
      and you were silenced. What reason was given for your being silenced?
      How did it feel? Let your friends analyse how you reacted to the situation.
      When you try to express your feelings on a certain matter and someone
      silences you, arguing that you are not right, or that you should keep quiet as
      may be the case in Activity 26 above, this amounts to social injustice. Social
      injustice is the unfair treatment of people who are considered marginalised in
      one way or another. This could be because they have traits or characteristics
      that are different from those of the majority or because they are considered
      less privileged. For this reason, they are considered unequal to other society
      members.

      Social injustice involves a collection of shared unjust experiences. This
      means that it affects a group of people. This group is mostly seen as inferior
      and therefore expected to remain silent regarding what they feel or think to
      the advantage of a dominant group. This makes interaction between the two
      groups hard thereby hindering social cohesion.

      Examples of groups of people who can be considered marginalised and
      therefore be victims of social injustice include women, people living with
      HIV and AIDS, disabled people and the poor. We should make every effort to

      embrace inclusiveness when dealing with these people.

      Exercise 4

      1. What dangers would arise if a country adopted the individualism theory
      as a nation?
      2. Identify any aspects of discrimination that you have witnessed in your
      community.
      3. Suggest possible ways of curbing discrimination as identified in question
      2 above.

      4. How can we overcome the challenges to social cohesion?

      1.5 Extended Work

      1. Identify a marginalised group in your neighbourhood. Formulate a
      questionnaire that will help you collect information from them on how
      marginalisation has affected them. Analyse the testimonies of these
      people concerning their social problems. Prepare notes on this and
      then present your work to the class, quoting stories from your sources.
      2. Suggest possible ways of alleviating any challenges faced by the group
      you interviewed.
      3. Write an essay to show your appreciation of the fact that all relationships

      benefit when people respect each other’s values.

      1.6 Unit summary

      Objectives of General Studies and Communication Skills

      General Studies and Communication Skills enables the learners to:
      i. Acquire values and attitudes that will help them to promote justice,
      peace and stability in the society for sustainable development of the
      country.
      ii. Acquire skills and competences that they can apply in addressing the
      socio-economic, financial, political, environmental and gender issues
      affecting them and their society.
      iii. Develop communication skills that will help them to express ideas and
      opinions in a reflective and academic manner.
      iv. Acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will prepare them
      for higher education, work and life in a competitive society.
      v. Get a deeper understanding of global issues and challenges and
      therefore appreciate the need for national, regional and international
      cooperation in solving these challenges for the good of the human race.
      vi. Increase the appreciation of their culture and that of others, the
      environment, the society as well as its values and norms.
      Social cohesion: The overall good relationship that makes people in a
      group or society to work together and relate well with one another.

      Factors of social cohesion
      1. Society norms
      2. Positive values
      3. Human rights
      4. Religious values
      5. National and humanistic values: resilience, benevolence, repentance,
      forgiveness, reconciliation, consensus building
      6. Active listening
      7. Inclusiveness
      8. Empathy
      9. Active bystandership

      Challenges to social cohesion

      1. Individualism
      2. Discrimination
      3. Social injustice

      1.7 Test your competence
      Read the case study below then answer the questions that follow.

      David was married to Doreen who came from a neighbouring clan. They
      lived together happily. One day, they had a quarrel and David physically
      assaulted Doreen. Doreen was very sad and she packed her belongings and
      went back to her parents. When her parents heard the matter, they went to
      the clan elders to report the whole issue. The clan elders decided that no one
      from the clan should interact with members of David’s clan till they asked
      for forgiveness. David never involved his clan and therefore no one went to
      the elders of Doreen’s clan to ask for forgiveness. Today, the two clans live
      as enemies.
      Questions

      1. Analyse the problem in this case study. Show who or what contributed
      to each aspect of the problem.
      2. What values did David not have that made him beat up his wife?
      3. What values did Doreen not have that made her run away from her
      husband?
      4. What should David’s family or clan have done to show active
      bystandership?
      5. Suggest possible strategies that can be put in place to restore social
      cohesion between the two clans.
      6. Suggest appropriate behaviour among couples that can promote

      healthy interclan marriages that lead to social cohesion between clans.