Neighbourhood context and social cohesion in Southernwood, East London, South Africa

This paper examines the relationship between neighbourhood context and social interactions in Southernwood, an inner-city residential suburb in East London, South Africa. Based on interviews with selected residents and community leaders, the paper identifies six contextual variables which influenced neighbourhood social cohesion in the suburb. Contrary to expectations, interview data showed benign effects of racial diversity while social disorganisation accounted for much of the reported low levels of social cohesion in the neighbourhoods. The paper observes that while neighbourhood context has a bearing on the nature of neighbourhood social cohesion, multiple contexts within proximate spaces of neighbourhoods create variegated forms of intra- and inter-neighbourhood social cohesion.