ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the concept of cohesion and its relation to the diversity debate. I argue that nowadays there is an assumed view that diversity erodes cohesion and that we need to go beyond this ‘threatening hypothesis’. I examine the multistranded concept of cohesion and its relation to liberal nationalistic tradition that tends to assume that cohesion is possible only in homogeneous societies. After digging into its conceptual agenda, I go to the policy domain of cohesion and particularly to the three normative frames that share the effort of bridging cohesion and diversity: multiculturalism, civic-nationalism, and interculturalism. At the end, I leave open the question about the benefits of considering cohesion and diversity as friends rather than foes.
