Kohäsion

Kohäsion is the German term for cohesion, describing the property of sticking together within a single system. The word is used in several disciplines with related but distinct meanings: in the natural sciences, it refers to internal forces that bind like molecules; in social sciences, to the bonds that hold individuals and groups together; in linguistics, to the textual devices that create coherence across sentences.

In physics and chemistry, Kohäsion denotes the intermolecular or intramolecular forces that hold a substance together. Cohesive forces include hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and metallic bonding. They influence properties such as surface tension, viscosity, boiling and melting points, and mechanical strength. Substances with strong cohesion tend to form droplets and exhibit high resistance to separation.

In sociology, social cohesion refers to the extent to which a society's members share values, norms, and a sense of belonging, facilitating cooperation and stability. It is influenced by institutions, social capital, equality, and inclusive governance. High cohesion is associated with social resilience but can be challenged by inequality or conflict.

In linguistics, Kohäsion describes how parts of a text are connected through referential ties, lexical overlap, conjunctions, ellipsis, and other devices that create coherence. Analysts examine how cohesive ties link sentences and how ambiguity or repetition affects interpretation.

Kohäsion is thus a cross-disciplinary concept reflecting the unity of system parts, whether molecules, people, or discourse.