Ballegaard, Emilie Ravn

Hansen, Katrine Quvang

Krog, Martine Amalie

The purpose of this project is to examine whether the segregation between the social classes in Danish society can be seen as a challenge for the establishment of solidarity in the primary school. On the basis of Robert D. Putnam’s solidarity theory and Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s welfare regime theory, we examine statistics and interviews to clarify the preconditions for establishing institutionalised solidarity as well as the solidarity that appears in the social interaction between people. Putnam’s solidarity theory is divided in two concepts: bridging and bonding, also known as strong- and week ties. These concepts will be used to describe the solidarity that occurs in homogeneous relations and heterogeneous groups respectively. The project focuses mainly on the geographic segregation of the upper class as the cause of the issue, and therefore likewise the dimension of this is analysed regarding the period of time in which this segregation has been going on, and which geographic areas it concerns. The project concludes that the upper class has segregated - geographically and institutionally - and that the segregation has been particularly significant during the financial crisis. This has lead to a situation where the upper class children to a larger extent have concentrated in certain schools districts. The interaction between these children and children from other social classes therefor only takes place to a limited extent in a school context. The homogeneous composition of students is challenging the establishment of Putnam’s solidarity concept: bridging. Whether the segregation has influenced the institutionalised solidarity that Esping-Andersen believes to be anchored in the Scandinavian welfare model as well, cannot be concluded by the studies conducted in this project.The purpose of this project is to examine whether the segregation between the social classes in Danish society can be seen as a challenge for the establishment of solidarity in the primary school. On the basis of Robert D. Putnam’s solidarity theory and Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s welfare regime theory, we examine statistics and interviews to clarify the preconditions for establishing institutionalised solidarity as well as the solidarity that appears in the social interaction between people. Putnam’s solidarity theory is divided in two concepts: bridging and bonding, also known as strong- and week ties. These concepts will be used to describe the solidarity that occurs in homogeneous relations and heterogeneous groups respectively. The project focuses mainly on the geographic segregation of the upper class as the cause of the issue, and therefore likewise the dimension of this is analysed regarding the period of time in which this segregation has been going on, and which geographic areas it concerns. The project concludes that the upper class has segregated - geographically and institutionally - and that the segregation has been particularly significant during the financial crisis. This has lead to a situation where the upper class children to a larger extent have concentrated in certain schools districts. The interaction between these children and children from other social classes therefor only takes place to a limited extent in a school context. The homogeneous composition of students is challenging the establishment of Putnam’s solidarity concept: bridging. Whether the segregation has influenced the institutionalised solidarity that Esping-Andersen believes to be anchored in the Scandinavian welfare model as well, cannot be concluded by the studies conducted in this project

Den solidariske velfærdsstat: Solidarity in the welfare state

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Roskilde Universitet