The Relationship between Moralization and Social Cohesion on an Individual Level

Abstract

Moralization has emerged as a consistent factor contributing to the decline of social cohesion. Research and scholarly works have demonstrated that the sense of social cohesion experienced by individuals is intricately connected and mutually influential with the larger frameworks of community dynamics and institutional structures. Through a review of existing literature, the paper explores the key consequences or predictors of the inverse relationship between moralization and low social cohesion, such as the emotion of disgust and intolerance, which is found to intensify individuals’ moral judgments. Furthermore, this paper presents the perspective that a lack of social cohesion might serve not only as a consequence of moralization but also as a potential tool or mechanism. It suggests that the breakdown of social bonds and the resulting fragmentation within a community or society could be both an outcome of moral decay and, paradoxically, a factor that perpetuates or even exacerbates this moral decline. This dual role of social cohesion, as both an endpoint and an instrument in the cycle of moralization, highlights the complex interplay between societal structures and moral development. However, the directionality remains uncertain based on current literature. It is suggested that policymakers take into account the impacts of moralization to avoid reinforcing discriminatory attitudes.