Britain today faces a crisis of social atomisation. More and more, adults are reporting feelings of loneliness and atomisation from their local communities. According to findings from the Community Life Survey (2016/17) over 45% of adults reported that they had experienced feeling alone. This affects all age groups, and while it acutely affects the elderly and those living with disabilities, there is a significant increase in reports of loneliness among those in the lower age cohort (16 – 24 years).
These findings should come as no surprise, the social character of Britain has all but collapsed in the last half- century. Decades of Thatcherite policy have defunded public spaces and utilities, effectively creating a hostile environment for social cohesion at the structural level. An example of this collapsing of public infrastructure is the closure of 773 libraries in Britain between 2009 and 2019 as documented by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s annual survey of Britain’s libraries (2019). Compounding this structural issue as it relates to young people, social media has had a detrimental impact on social cohesion, with those who more frequently use social media reporting a higher perceived social isolation (Primack, 2017).
As Communists, the benefits of social cohesion should be clear. Stronger social bonds build solidarity, create a strong foundation for collective politics and the development of class consciousness. In this time of incredible atomisation, we ought to concern ourselves with the development of social structures to combat the further dissolution of a unified working class. But how do we do this? We can begin by examining conditions elsewhere and our history to determine what works, what has previously worked, and if it can be further utilised in our struggles here and now.
Across the world, Communists have strived to create communities of tightly knit and politically engaged people. In Cuba, neighbourhood committees have been established by the Communist Party throughout the country. These committees, Comités de Defensa de la Revolución (Committees for the Defence of the Revolution, or CDRs) have been established in order to support local communities. Almost everyone in Cuba is a member of their local CDR. These CDRs are often utilised for the organisation of festivals and social events as well as to support community initiatives. CDRs become, in effect, the beating heart of local communities; helping to plan events and social activities for those in the communities. As well as this, they are also responsible for providing political education and materials to the local community. The Cuban CDRs bring communities together, united in common purpose, and are an excellent example of a structure which builds strong social cohesion.
The CDRs were put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic and were mobilised to support those in their communities most at risk such as the elderly. This support included providing weekly shopping for those who had to adhere to lockdown conditions such as shielding. Local committees were also heavily involved in vaccination campaigns. The CDRs were used to great effect, and Cuba’s response to the pandemic remains one of the most effective the world over, despite the unique trials and tribulations faced by the island, such as the embargo enforced on the Island nation by the United States.
The Cuban emphasis on democracy at the level of the neighbourhood and community has built a strong political consciousness across the nation. Not only that, CDRs have created socially unified communities. The success of the CDRs in Cuba demonstrate the power of organising our class. Making a similar mobilisation in the British context would be impossible with present conditions as we do not have a sufficiently organised working class. And so, what are some ways that we can build social cohesion in Britain?
The answers here should be obvious to Communists in Britain, developing the trade union movement and building a working class that stands together in common interest. We must also consider the community element of organising the working class. Looking into our past can provide some effective examples of community organising in Britain.
In early 20th century Britain, the Communist Party saw many successes in developing community initiatives. These successes included the establishment of the National Unemployed Workers Movement, which agitated around the issue of employment for the working class during the interwar period. The Communist Party also engaged in anti-fascist work across the country including the Battle of Cable Street, in which over 100,000 people came out to resist the British Union of Fascists marching through the East End of London.
The Party was responsible in many communities for organising sporting events, music events and evening socials. Communists also established social clubs, including cycling, hiking and reading clubs which provided not only recreational activities but a political education. These clubs were seen as an important aspect of party organising which included members of the Party and non-members alike. These clubs not only helped develop new cadres, but they also created groups of friends, whose friendships would become crucial in future organising and mobilising. In the 1930s, for example, many members of these clubs would be mobilised through the party and serve in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
While the conditions of Britain and Cuba are very different, many of the Party’s initiatives here are similar to those of the CDRs in Cuba. For our part in resisting the atomisation that is at the heart of Capitalism in Britain, we must build connections in our communities. In some cases this will mean developing a strong social tradition, with social clubs and events, and in other cases it will be the result of active solidarity among our neighbours. The development of an organised working class, replete with tightly knit communities with a strong sense of solidarity is vital to building a socialist future in Britain.
Dean Cairns, is a member of the YCL’s Edinburgh branch
