weak ties
Sociologist Mark Granovetter pointed out the paradox that weak ties are what makes society strong. His argument was that the myriad casual connections, like those of a storekeeper, are connecting ties, while the strong ties of family and religion create partition, or separation, among groups. Neighborhood niches build weak ties par excellence. (Fullilove, 2020, 219) Weak ties are non-disjunctive, that is, they connect us. Serial displacement breaks the weak ties. In their absence, the strong ties become stronger, and the groups become hostile to each other. (Fullilove, 2013, 179)