A German-American team of researchers warns: All too often, educational programmes aimed at strengthening social cohesion focus on addressing small social differences. A study on 644 school classes in Delhi, India shows an alternative approach – with promising results.
Social cohesion is the glue that holds society together. Now the bonds are breaking, and polarization has been growing for years. Educational programmes aimed at strengthening social cohesion by promoting greater tolerance very often focus on social differences, such as ethnicity, religion or nationality. Yet is this effective? A German-American team of researchers involving the University of Konstanz recommends exactly the opposite approach: Instead of focusing on the differences, such programmes should centre on universal human values.
The researchers from Konstanz, San Diego and Stanford developed an educational programme that was tested in a large-scale pilot study of 644 school classes and more than 8,600 participants in India. The results show that the programme has a significant effect on reducing discriminatory attitudes and promoting pro-social behaviour, civic values and social engagement. "The effect approaches just about half of the influence that one's own family has on opinions and values", says Christina Felfe, a professor of applied microeconomics and a member of the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz. The educational programme and the results of the study are described in the journal
Nature Human Behaviour.
Finding common ground rather than differences
"We should not forget how much we have in common", emphasizes Christina Felfe. Social division takes place along the lines of small differences, although people have a large basis of shared values, regardless of their backgrounds. Yet even educational programmes intended to fight division focus all too often on the differences that need to be overcome. The problem with this method is that participants often cannot apply lessons about individual differences to other areas of their lives. For example, if you learn that having different nationalities does not make us better or worse people, then you often do not tend to draw the conclusion that the same is true for different religions, ethnic groups, genders and political opinions. Past studies indicate that the positive effect of such programmes often only lasts for a short period, and the lessons learned are often not applied outside the classroom.
The German-American research team including Christina Felfe thus developed an educational programme that does not centre around the differences between people. Instead, it focuses on what connects all of us: universal human values and shared characteristics. The key didactic concept is based on harmonizing both this common ground and human diversity. "Our approach shows that diversity is not the opposite of unity, but that diversity is exactly the difference between unity and uniformity", Felfe explains.
The programme has three foundational elements: Firstly, it strengthens participants' awareness for shared universal human characteristics – from a biological as well as a moral perspective. Secondly, it teaches students to create positive environments based on unity and diversity. Thirdly, it raises awareness for the fact that individuals and communities act within a broader social context.
First implementation in Delhi, India
Between 2023 and 2024, the programme was initially implemented in a large-scale pilot study with young adults in India. It included 23 lessons during 100 minutes of teaching each day for six days a week over a period of three weeks. "India is a country where society has long been characterized by differences in caste, gender and religion. This is why it was an ideal location to test whether our educational programme could overcome deep-seated discriminatory attitudes and strengthen social cohesion", Felfe says.
The study was conducted in cooperation with the Freedom Employability Academy (FEA). This non-profit educational organization in India provides free programmes for disadvantaged youth to strengthen their professional skills. A total of 8,648 participants from 644 school classes (aged 18-30) were split into two groups: One half was taught the new educational programme while the other half received the regular FEA training.
The study finds that participants in the new educational programme demonstrated more tolerant attitudes towards people from other social groups. Their thoughts and actions showed fewer discriminatory attitudes, and not just in relationship to individual cultural characteristics like ethnicity or religion, but for the full spectrum of diversity. Participants' social behaviours were strengthened, even beyond the boundaries of social class, and their civic engagement was increased. "All in all, the programme's participants demonstrated a more positive view of society and were more open to contact with people from other groups", Felfe concludes.
The educational programme has since become part of the FEA's standard repertoire and is now being offered in all its programmes. Each year, an estimated 75,000 young people benefit from it. As a next step, the research team would like to expand the programme beyond India. "This would help us to study the programme's effectiveness in different cultural and social contexts and test its potential for application worldwide", Christina Felfe adds.
Key facts:
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02509-1
- Study of 8,648 young adults from 18-30 in 644 school classes and 204 teachers (of which 4,152 students, 310 school classes and 102 teachers were in the control group)
- Study in cooperation with the Freedom Employability Academy (FEA)
- Professor Christina Felfe is a professor of applied microeconomics at the University of Konstanz. She is a member of the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality". Her research centres on applied microeconomics and behavioural economics, especially in the areas of education, work and migration. A particular focus is on the role institutions, attitudes and norms play in the integration of minorities, especially children.
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