Drawing on nearly two decades of multi-case and comparative qualitative research, this article examines the relationship between social cohesion and xenophobic violence in South Africa. Echoing emerging scholarship, it challenges the conventional wisdom that social cohesion is inherently a panacea for violence. It demonstrates that, under certain conditions, social cohesion, enacted through collective efficacy, is linked to xenophobic violence, not as a solution but as a driver. The article argues that intersections between migration-induced diversity, severe socio-economic deprivation, and local governance deficits turn existing bonding cohesion into "exclusionary cohesion," thereby rendering aspects of social cohesion (i.e., social cohesion itself) a driver of xenophobic violence in South Africa. It makes a three-fold scholarly contribution: i) it introduces the concepts of "exclusionary cohesion" and "deprivation-induced cohesion" (an extension of Weber's 'social closure') which capture the essence of aspects of social cohesion making it a driver of xenophobic violence; ii) it provides empirical evidence that supports calls to reconceptualise social cohesion as its conventional understandings become increasingly anachronistic; and iii) it extends the debate on the social cohesion - violence nexus by beginning to identify factors linking specific forms of cohesion to specific forms of violence.
Families in South Africa are undergoing rapid changes that have reshaped family structures and parenting roles. One notable trend is the growing number of absent fathers, which has led to an increase in non-custodial fathers. However, limited research in South Africa has explored black non-custodial fathers' perspectives on good fatherhood, the strategies they employ, and the challenges they face in maintaining involvement with their children. The study conducted face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 black non-custodial fathers residing in various areas of Johannesburg, South Africa. The data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that non-custodial fathers defined good fatherhood as both financial provision and active physical involvement in their children's lives. While they acknowledged the importance of providing financially, the fathers also expressed a desire to be present in their children's daily lives to offer guidance, care and emotional support. The study concludes that awareness campaigns should target communities to promote the importance of enabling fathers to participate meaningfully in parenting. Traditional gender norms that equate fatherhood solely with financial provision should be challenged by promoting the understanding that good fatherhood also involves emotional and physical presence in children's lives.
