Why Solidarity, With Whom, and How? Three Problems in the Sociology of Solidarity

• In Event: Moral Boundaries, Accountability, and the Possibilities of Solidarity

Abstract

Solidarity is a foundational concept and phenomenon in sociology (Durkheim, 2013; Ibn Khaldun, 2020). Concern with solidarity, differently named, continued in the discipline but reached institutionalization in US sociology with the formation of the ASA’s Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity section in the early 2010s. Since then, the sociology of solidarity has been shaped by various reviews that map out its definitions, explanations, and histories. Given the field’s endorsed normativity, this article reviews three normative debates integral to the field: why solidarity, with whom, and how? First, I show that sociologists turn to solidarity amid conflicts either to maintain stability within the dominant order or to seek justice by challenging it. Second, sociologists often extend solidarity either to those who adopt “inclusive” discourse or to those who are dominated in power hierarchies. Third, I present four perspectives on how sociologists propose to enact solidarity: statist, civic, indigenous, and anarchist.

Author

• Muhammad Amasha, Yale University