Pillarisation

Pillarisation (a calque from the Dutch: verzuiling [vɛrˈzœylɪŋ] ^ⓘ) is the vertical division of a society into separate groups, or "pillars" (Dutch: zuilen), organised along religious, socio-economic, and ideological lines. The phenomenon is most closely associated with historical examples in the Netherlands and Belgium.

In a pillarised society, each pillar maintains its own institutions and social organisations. These may include newspapers, broadcasting organisations, political parties, trade unions, farmers' associations, banks, shops, schools, hospitals, universities, scouting groups, and sports clubs. This segregation results in limited social interaction between members of different pillars. In the Netherlands, society was historically divided into four main pillars: Catholic, Protestant, socialist, and liberal. The system allowed each community to maintain its own institutions and lifestyle, minimising conflict among groups. Inter-pillar social relationships, including marriage and friendship, were generally discouraged.

Pillarisation also reflected the social awareness of groups that had been marginalised or disadvantaged during the 19th century by the liberal bourgeoisie, which promoted Enlightenment ideals as universal norms. The system began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s, as social and political barriers weakened. However, traces of pillarisation remain visible in contemporary Dutch political parties, media institutions, and in certain conservative religious communities, such as those in the Dutch Bible Belt.

Comparable systems of social segmentation have been identified in other countries, including Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Malaysia.