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Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion

The CSSC conducts research on the causes and consequences of social cohesion – the bonds that hold groups together, from families and gangs to nations and world religions. Understanding how groups are glued together is crucial to addressing some of the biggest practical problems facing humanity today and the CSSC generates science driven policy recommendations and practical interventions to address a range of issues, from violent extremism to football hooliganism. The CSSC is financially self-sustaining via a combination of research grants from conventional funding sources, charities, and philanthropic donations.

The CSSC comprises two major research clusters: AnthroLab — coordinated by experimental psychologist Jonathan Jong — focusing on the proximate mechanisms responsible for building ingroup cohesion and inter-group competition; and the Cultural Evolution Lab — coordinated by historian Pieter François — focusing on the evolution of social complexity using cross-cultural and longitudinal datasets.

CSSC in the News

Sky News interview: Spurs x Chelsea racism
Sky News
December 23, 2019
What came first: all-seeing gods or large societies?
The Economist
March 20, 2019
Is religion good or bad for humanity?
New Scientist
March 20, 2019
Scientists identify seven universal moral rules
The Times of India
February 14, 2019
Seven Universal Moral Rules (from 21:45)
BBC World Service
February 10, 2019
Historical Peace Index to launch at the University of Oxford
The University Of Oxford
November 19, 2018
Social bonding key cause of football violence
EurekAlert! Science News
June 22, 2018
Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor
Science Science News
March 21, 2018
Human Sacrifice Was the Key to Social Evolution, New Study Says
Science Science News
February 28, 2018
Did Human Sacrifice Help People Form Complex Societies? The debate over how well ritual killings maintained social order
The Atlantic
February 27, 2018