Abstract

The article examines the theoretical discourse of social cohesion as part of the existing production in sociological literature, both classical and contemporary. Its objective is to argue the assumptions that define cohesion as a historical-social construction of societies that are committed to a better future. It is on the epistemological emergencies arising from the European Social Model and the meaning given by Latin American rhetoric to guide –assuming a definition of reference– the thematic introspection of what happens in that context. Emphasis is placed on the emerging theoretical (re)construction of cohesion to settle other nuances that allow the relevance of the old question about how the social bond is recomposed. Therefore, the possibility of decoupling from well-known theoretical approaches is valued, to renew them by those that assume the (other) forms of social interaction derived from the conditions, premises and concrete objectives, typical of national development strategies.

Keywords Participation; social development; equal opportunities; social welfare; social transformation