Studies abound on the threat to democracy that social polarisation and the weaponisation of difference pose across the globe. Less investigated are the discourses and interactions of non-elite actors who enable reciprocal, supportive ways of living together well in contexts of high diversity. Our research project addresses this gap. Titled ‘Repairing sociality, safeguarding democracy: Transatlantic North-South narratives and practices of deep equality’ (RSSD/Social Repair project), we investigate everyday practices in local contexts in South Africa, Brazil, Canada and the UK. People frequently navigate diversity in ways that enable mutual understanding and social recognition. Our South-North, offline-online project seeks out these ‘ordinary’ moments in cross-country comparative case studies. We use critical ethnography and digital analysis to learn how people repair sociality towards greater trust and inclusion in each of these four democracies, despite the erosion of confidence in political representation and in the legal system of producing justice. This includes bringing Lori Beaman’s concept of deep equality into conversation with concepts from the Global South. Bottom-up expressions and practices of human connection may create novel pathways for strengthening democracy, ensuring inclusive governance, and improving trust.
The project is funded by the Trans-Atlantic Platform on Democracy, Governance and Trust.