This essay will argue that education and history provide the key to understanding how to break down the barriers that inhibit social cohesion in New Zealand. It also highlights the complexities of social cohesion and the importance of balancing it with individuality. Furthermore, it points out that breaking down barriers only occurs when people take action.

Social cohesion refers to the strength of relationships and the sense of solidarity among members of a community1. This cohesion is essential both in the bigger picture and on the smaller scale. In society, it drives prosperity, promotes inclusivity and prevents the disillusionment of groups. In day-to-day life, it binds together the fabric of the local community and provides a feeling of security. This is a black-and-white description of social cohesion. In reality, social cohesion is far more intricate.

In some ways, it is helpful to think about social cohesion by first considering what it is not. The opposite of social cohesion is individuality. This in itself is highly desirable as it allows for personal achievement and most importantly, free thought. The absence of free thought is typical in a society with total social cohesion. Societies like these often have strong nationalistic roots and a figurehead or dictator, for example, Nazi Germany or fascist Italy in the 1930s. These societies had near complete social cohesion as a result of fear and the simplification of history into a single narrative. In these societies, there was no room for free thought. People were caught up in the demands of others as they strived for a common goal or idea. This is a danger that comes with social cohesion; a society funnelled into a single stream of thought. Individuality is thus crucial and must strike a balance with social cohesion. A society that balances social cohesion and individuality is desirable. In this society, individual success, free thought and expression are encouraged and co-exist with a general sense of belonging and community. A society with this structure enables productivity and positive interaction as those in it feel accepted and part of a whole. It also ensures individuals have the freedom to innovate and speak out. Groups have autonomy; a voice; feel listened to; and are caught up in a sense of belonging. And as such it prevents parts of society from pitting off against each other which can potentially lead to social instability.

So, when and where does positive social cohesion occur? In recent times it has been most visible as a result of tragedy or in response to something terrible. For instance, American society was

1 Kawachi, I., & Berkman, L. (2000). Social cohesion, social capital, and health. Social Epidemiology, 174(7), 290–319.

particularly cohesive after the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks. The entire nation seemed to come together and put aside their differences in shared grief and anger towards the nature of the attacks. Examples in New Zealand include the reaction to the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011 and the sense of community (the team of five million) seen during the Covid-19 lockdowns. These examples reflect the idea that social cohesion can emerge from fear and a sense of fighting an outside enemy or responding to a disaster. However, as we know from our experiences in the pandemic and the cost of the Christchurch earthquakes, these examples present a high price to pay for social cohesion. Therefore social cohesion cannot be limited to when communities respond to disaster and tragedy. This raises the question, what holds it back from being present more generally in our society?

It might be tempting to think that one reason may be the lack of a binding idea. America is very much built on the premise of the American Dream i.e. equality of opportunity. This is a core idea which provides the basis for the American way of life and binds its people together. Alongside this strong binding nature, there is also room for individual enterprise and freedoms. Americans embrace this idea and many migrants seek out America as the destination for a better life. However, this idea creates only the illusion of social cohesion as when we observe the reality of American society, this cohesion crumbles. American society is polarised. For example, its politics are deeply divided between democrats and republicans. The split between the rich and poor is also significant and their lifestyles are drastically different. Typically, they distrust each other. And while some groups fight for inclusivity such as the LQBTQIA+ movement, others like the alt-right try to undermine it. Such polarisation means that a binding idea alone, such as the American dream, is not enough to achieve social cohesion.

A theme throughout the past is the ignoring, or incorrect telling, of history. Societies such as Nazi Germany can typically be traced back to an untruthful or selective telling of history. For example, Hitler distorted the history of the First World War and the treaty of Versailles to tell the German people what they wanted to hear and win them to his cause. America is another example. This is discussed in a 2018 study which found that less than 20 per cent of surveyed college graduates could identify, in a multiple choice survey, the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation.2 Furthermore, only fifteen per cent of eighth-grade students in the US performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level on U.S History in 2018. This was 3 points lower than in 2014.3 This depicts a generation being raised ignorant of history. This is concerning because

2 Brownfeld, A. (2020, May 14). The danger ignorance of history poses to the future of a free society. American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Retrieved from https://www.goacta.org/news-item/the-danger-ignorance-of-history-poses-to-the-future-of-a-free-society/

3NAEP report card: U.S. history. The Nation's Report Card. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory/results/achievement/

history is more than just the telling of the past. It also teaches critical thinking, the analysis of sources, empathy and provides context for the present. When a large proportion of society lacks these skills and knowledge, they are easily misinformed and manipulated. This leads to a lack of social cohesion as the wider population cannot think for itself.

In Aotearoa New Zealand Māori histories have been significantly neglected. British colonisation, the Treaty of Waitangi and the New Zealand Land Wars are significant to our population as they shaped the country we see today. However, these histories have been sparsely taught. Equally, histories of discriminatory laws against Chinese immigration, including the poll tax have largely been ignored. This lack of New Zealand history has been pointed out by James Belich who in 2002, argued that New Zealanders were more familiar with the history of British kings and queens than with the Kīngitanga.4 A parent angry at their child’s inability to learn New Zealand history at school said, “she was in her last year of high school in Auckland. And she wants to study New Zealand history and found out she couldn’t, she could only study British history, and she was pretty incensed about it.” 5

To address this, a society which teaches its own histories with a focus on historical thinking that is critical and empathetic may see a flourishing sense of social cohesion. Individual students armed with historical knowledge and critical thinking skills can see the importance of different perspectives, can walk in other people's shoes and listen to the many stories about a shared past. In a recent article, the historian Simon Schama has made this same point: “in free societies the cohesion of national community is better served by the examination of truth than by otiose flattery.” 6 So, a history which tells the difficult parts of our past and helps us discuss it and understand it in the present provides the opportunity to build social cohesion. Leaders who understand this are vital for paving the way for generational change and creating a society with social cohesion. Systems which are entrenched within society are very hard to change externally. In order to create change, leaders must come up through the system and change it from within. This is a potent and effective form of change as it is long lasting and addresses the root cause of many problems. Another way to do this is to garner enough support for change. In New Zealand, two examples of such leaders are Leah Bell and Waimarama Anderson.

In 2014, Bell and Anderson, alongside other students from their school (Otorohanga College) were disappointed at the lack of local history being taught. To address this they organised a petition (eventually with 13,000 signatures) calling for a national day to recognise the New

4 Belich, J. (2002). Paradise reforged: A history of the New Zealanders from the 1880s to the year 2000. Penguin Books: Auckland, New Zealand.
5 O'Malley, V. (2021, November 2). New Zealand's children will all soon study the country's brutal history – it's not before time | Vincent O'Malley. The Guardian. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/nov/02/new-zealands-children-will-all-soon-study -the-countrys-brutal-history-its-not-before-time
6 Schama, S. (6 May 2022). When history is weaponised for war. The Financial Times.

Zealand Wars and to see New Zealand’s histories being taught in schools. This led to a growing voice to include such histories in the school curriculum and in 2019 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand history would be taught in all schools from 2022: “this Government is committed to a better New Zealand that we can all be proud of and which recognises the value of every New Zealander... we have listened carefully to the growing calls from New Zealanders to know more about our own history and identity.”7 This history curriculum promises to teach students about place, connections across the Pacific and the struggle for land and sovereignty. The curriculum document provides a map of sorts that guides students from Year 1 to Year 10 through the stories of New Zealand’s past.8 In this way, it builds a sense of belonging and identity. Further, a particularly important aspect of teaching Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories is the whakataukī or proverb ‘kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua’ (I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past). It signals that social cohesion in the present is connected to our understanding of the past and where we are going in the future.

Social cohesion is a complex idea that must be well balanced with individuality. Simplified history and so-called binding ideas create societies with the illusion of social cohesion. To achieve a society with deeply rooted social cohesion relevant histories and critical thinking must be taught. For this to happen, leaders must have these skills and use them to make a change. When this social cohesion occurs societies are prosperous, free and inclusive.

Bibliography:

Belich, J. (2002). Paradise reforged: A history of the New Zealanders from the 1880s to the year 2000. Penguin Books: Auckland, New Zealand.

Bris, A. (2014, April). Social Cohesion – Why it matters. IMD World Competitiveness Center. Retrieved from https://www.imd.org/contentassets/3683e1f1ccc04e12aa9e6ad48251c211/com_april_2014.pdf

Brownfeld, A. (2020, May 14). The danger ignorance of history poses to the future of a free society. American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Retrieved from https://www.goacta.org/news-item/the-danger-ignorance-of-history-poses-to-the-future-of-a-free- society/

NAEP report card: U.S. history. The Nation's Report Card. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory/results/achievement/

O'Malley, V. (2021, November 2). New Zealand's children will all soon study the country's brutal history – it's not before time | Vincent O'Malley. The Guardian. Retrieved from

7 New Zealand history to be taught in schools (12th September 2019). Press release. Retrieved from:

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nz-history-be-taught-all-schools

8 Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories Curriculum. Retrieved from:

https://aotearoahistories.education.govt.nz/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/nov/02/new-zealands-children-will-all- soon-study-the-countrys-brutal-history-its-not-before-time

Schama, S. (6 May 2022). When history is weaponised for war. The Financial Times.

Social cohesion. Social Cohesion - Healthy People 2030. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/s ocial-cohesion#cit6