Why Solidarity, With Whom, by Whom? Mapping Debates in the Sociology of Solidarity

Abstract

Solidarity is a concept that has been actively used in campus activism, social movements, media campaigns, and academic platforms. It is also a foundational concept and phenomenon in sociology, dating back to Durkheim and, even earlier, to Ibn Khaldun. While conceptualizations, explanations, and historical developments of solidarity have been widely reviewed, a central characteristic of the field that is insufficiently reviewed is its normative debates. This article reviews three central normative questions implicit in much solidarity literature (why solidarity, with whom, and by whom?) and proposes conceptual distinctions that organize these debates. First, I propose that sociologists turn to solidarity amid conflicts, either to maintain stability within the dominant order or to seek justice by uniting opposition against it. Second, I argue that sociologists often extend solidarity either to those adopting “inclusive” discourse or to those dominated in power hierarchies . Third, I present four perspectives on whom sociologists view as the right agent of solidarity: statist, civic, indigenous, and anarchist. The article evaluates the potential and limitations of these answers.