Solidarity Module

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Define the key components of solidarity
• Articulate some of the considerations involved in building solidarity, including the ways in which solidarity and reciprocity are similar and different
• Reflect on how you approach building solidarity
• Apply concepts of solidarity to case studies involving ethical quandaries within community engagement.

Solidarity is a powerful concept that has proven challenging to define for activists and scholars alike. This challenge arises, in part, from the wide variety of contexts in which solidarity has been deployed: as a practice, a set of actions, driven by a desire to transform. Although some contemporary uses of the term associate solidarity with relatively passive actions, such as signing a petition or changing a profile picture, these symbolic actions in isolation contribute little to social change. One way to think about the difference between passive and active solidarity is to imagine a sliding scale from transactional (spectatorship, low-stakes symbolic participation) to transformative (long-term, deep commitment, often risky engagement). Regardless of its precise form, most scholars agree on a few key components to the practice of solidarity. Solidarity requires action around a shared goal or aspiration over time with other people. Let’s take each of these key components a step further. 

Solidarity requires action. Solidarity cannot happen passively; it requires work and effort. If it feels comfortable, it’s likely not contributing to making change. Feelings of discomfort can be a sign that your actions are challenging social norms and questioning or critiquing systems, which can lead to changing those systems. Critical pedagogy scholars note, “The active pursuit of solidarity requires deliberate attention to power dynamics, but also to the histories and ideas that have produced present conditions” (Gaztambide-Fernández, Brant, and Desai, 256).

Solidarity is built around shared goals or aspirations. People are motivated to act in solidarity because they feel a sense of proximity to the issue at hand, whether they have a direct stake in the matter based on their own experience of oppression, or a connection (real or imagined) to others who have experienced marginalization. The sense of proximity can be physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual (see “Motivation” section below). Goals and aspirations may be clear-cut, such as halting the construction of an oil pipeline, or more difficult to measure, such as changing the culture of an institution to become more inclusive.

Solidarity is developed over time. Building solidarity requires a long-term investment of time and other resources (much in the same vein as antiracist commitments and inclusive practices). It takes time to build trust and to collectively shape the contours of a movement between people who have differing levels of knowledge, experience, and ability to contribute. 

Solidarity requires more than one person. Some people feel compelled to do it all, and to forge ahead independently, but a number of successful social movements have demonstrated the power of collective action. No one can be in solidarity alone. By recognizing that each individual can only commit so much of their time and resources, and that we each have different privileges and resources at our disposal, it becomes essential to connect and build relationships with others who are committed to a shared purpose. Diverse ideas, skills, and passions contributed by those working together make it possible to transform oppressive systems. 

Many movements for social change throughout history achieved their goals because people came together recognizing that change would not be immediate, and they committed to a sustained plan for maintaining solidarity with one another around their shared goal. Read more about some of these examples of solidarity movements in the US to investigate how the four key elements discussed above are combined in practice:

• Woman Suffrage: guaranteeing women the right to vote
• Civil Rights Movement
• Student-Led Vietnam War Protests
• American Indian Movement (AIM)
• Occupation of Alcatraz
• Stonewall Uprising
• Standing Rock Sioux Reservation Protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline
• Black Lives Matter Movement
• #CiteBlackWomen Movement
• March for Our Lives

Why would someone desire to be in solidarity with others? Understanding the motivations for our solidarity efforts is directly linked to vocational discernment, which we at St. Olaf define as: “Life, on purpose, for the common good.” How is what I am doing on purpose, rooted in my personal values, and linked with others for the benefit of the common good? Sociologist and economist Jörg Althammer points to two main types of solidarity that hinge upon differing motivations. 

Solidarity as a Social Contract The first type of solidarity is based on the idea of the social contract, where individuals join together around shared values, convictions, or beliefs that govern their actions. Under this umbrella, there are two ways to understand the motivations that bring individuals together in solidarity.

• Shared Identity. In some cases, solidarity is concentrated within a group whose members share a specific social identity, and this commonality is the foundation of trust within the group that establishes a sense of moral unity between them (what sociologist Emile Durkheim would call “mechanic solidarity”). Solidarity within a specific social group based on a shared identity relies on homogeneity. Solidarity movements based on social identity can, at times, ignore other positions and intersecting identities that members hold in order to conform to the homogeneity of that group. Shared identity solidarity also tends to be “particularistic” by design, meaning that the beneficiaries of actions taken are limited to those who share that particular identity, such as a “by us, for us” mentality (Althammer, 8). For example, several of the movements in the list concluding the “Solidarity is not [just] a Feeling” section are formulated around a shared identity, such as the Woman Suffrage movement, the Occupation of Alcatraz, the Stonewall Uprising, and #CiteBlackWomen.
• Mutual Interest. Alternatively, solidarity can be developed among people who share a mutual interest, despite having different social identities. Solidarity based on mutual interest is dependent on heterogeneity—people with a variety of identities—because different experiences and positionalities are needed to contribute different things to the cause (what Durkheim would call “organic solidarity”). Heterogeneity, while common in solidarity movements, requires more intentional and deliberate outreach to bring people into the work. Solidarity based on mutual interest can be understood as “universalistic,” meaning that there is a shared understanding that the effort being worked towards is either a universal human right or benefits more than just one particular group of people (Althammer, 20). For example, several of the movements in the list concluding the “Solidarity is not [just] a Feeling” section are formulated around a shared interest, such as the protests against the Vietnam War and the March for Our Lives. Note, however, that the “mutual interest” notion of solidarity has both positive and negative effects for the social cohesion in a society (ie. a band of criminals has solidarity with each other) as philosopher Kurt Bayertz stresses (cited in Althammer, 10).

Solidarity as a Virtue The second type of solidarity is more descriptive, noting how individuals can be drawn into solidarity based on their need for assistance from others in a similar situation (obligation, based on self-interest), or based on a reciprocal bond that is driven by a similarity in tastes and preferences (friendship, and explicitly non-instrumental). 

• Obligation points to a larger sense of collective responsibility or duty, regardless of proximity. For example, the way certain nation-states have designed social welfare programs denotes an obligatory approach at a high system-level.
• Friendship, on the other hand, invokes a sense of more neighbor-to-neighbor interactions, or mutual togetherness or interconnectedness through interpersonal relationships. Althammer points out that solidarity based in friendship has been noted by other scholars to stem from Aristotle’s view of “perfect friendship” (7). 

Your Positionality and Roles: Your role within a solidarity movement will depend on your own positionality (how you experience the world based on your intersecting identities and the associated power/privileges you are afforded). One role in a solidarity movement is that of an ally: someone from a dominant or majority group that is committed to supporting and advocating for those in marginalized and oppressed groups, but rarely engages in action that involves personal risk. In contrast, an accomplice goes further by using the power and privilege they have to challenge oppressive systems in a more direct way, often risking their physical and social well being. A co-conspirator is even more deeply embedded, as activist Brittany Packnett notes: “An ally shows up when it’s convenient. An accomplice shows up when there is a risk. A co-conspirator decides to go into the risk proactively because they helped create the plan in the first place” (hear Packnett’s full response here.)

Developing Motivations: Solidarity can look and feel different for each person based on how they show up and what gifts, skills, expertise, and knowledge they have to share. Building solidarity is challenging, and people enter this work at different levels of engagement and self-awareness. To one person, an action may feel deeply meaningful and genuine, while to another person, that same action may feel inauthentic and designed to garner praise (sometimes referred to as “performative”). It’s important to recognize that real harm can be done by individuals who are underprepared for solidarity work as a result of a lack of trust, clear motivations, and committed action. But it may be valuable to turn to curiosity in these moments, seeking to learn more about the individual’s motivation to join in solidarity with others and investing in a relationship with them (sometimes referred to as “calling in” rather than “calling out”). Practicing solidarity actions with a sense of self-awareness (see section below) can be a first step for someone who wants to get involved and work toward being in solidarity with others, before they are able to fully articulate their motivation. This process can help solidify the very purpose for their solidarity. Supporting people who are new to solidarity work can start by asking questions (see Reflection Questions: Expectations or Aspirations for Solidary Experiences). It is also important to recognize the labor, emotional and otherwise, involved in educating people who are entering this work, and attend to an equitable distribution of that labor. 

The practice of solidarity is demonstrated by completing actions over a period of time that build on one another. So—what does the process of acting in solidarity over time really look like? Below is an adaptation of a process created by The Building Movement Project that has clear considerations and actions to take toward a defined goal: writing a solidarity statement for your organization. These considerations and steps can also be adapted and applied to other practices of solidarity.

The Solidarity Statement project’s core principles are outlined as follows:

1. Center the voices, needs, and demands of directly affected communities and organizations that represent them.
2. Connect the common roots of systemic injustice across movements, while acknowledging that we all hold distinct and similar histories and experiences of dealing with oppression.
3. Articulate visions of co-liberation, including mutual freedom and redistribution of power that recognizes that we can’t all be free, equal, or whole if any community is being oppressed.
4. Include ideas and examples of how we can be co-conspirators on the issue addressed, with respect, humility and accountability.
5. Design the statement not just for a one time event but as part of a sustainable, long-term, movement building strategy. 

Before Taking Action

1. Clarify your vision and intended impact
2. Build and sustain relationships
3. Determine the type of message you want to send
4. Identify your audience and core messages
5. Determine your organizational capacity
6. Determine process and decision-making

During/After Taking Action

1. Assess the Impact of your Action
2. Debrief and Review

Note how the Building Movement’s process embeds a clear call to action in their core principles, relies on relationship building, and uses reflection as a tool to determine future steps and actions. For more information about each step, view the full guide at The Building Movement Project.

Since humans exist as social animals, and altruism is well documented among our species, solidarity as a practice has likely existed since the dawn of human society. Instances of mutual aid among communities of people around the world abound in historical accounts. The first recorded written evidence of “solidarity” as a concept, however, occurs in Roman Law with the concept of obligatio in solidum, which references the joint liability of people in debt to one or more of their creditors. Solidarity also emerges in other culturally specific contexts, including the seventh generation principle of the ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) peoples of North America that reinforces the temporal nature of solidarity efforts. The West African indigenous concept of ubuntu emphasizes human interconnectedness and dignity first within one’s own cultural group, and secondly among all other human beings, including an ubuntic duty to slaves (Afolabi, 48). Shared identity solidarity has manifested in Christian “brotherhood” or fraternity organizations, for instance, while mutual interest solidarity emerged into the Western lexicon through labor organizing and trade unions at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (Oxford English Dictionary). 

The academic study of solidarity is spread across a variety of disciplines. Many of the scholars cited in this module (and whom they attribute their scholarly lineage to) arise from sociology and philosophy, notably Émile Durkheim, Ulf Tranow, and Jörg Althammer, where they tackle the concept of solidarity as a concept. Scholars have explored solidarity within other fields as well, and in many cases moved beyond theory to advocate for particular practices. For instance, the Black feminist Combahee River Collective contributed to an intersectional understanding of solidarity, noting how “We struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also struggle with Black men about sexism” (1977, 19). Brazilian educator and theorist Paolo Freire argued that “true  solidarity” requires those who benefit from oppressive systems to sacrifice status and privilege in order to join the oppressed in fighting for freedom in his landmark publication, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). Below are a few additional interpretations of solidarity generated from different academic disciplinary perspectives, with varying applications to the practice of solidarity:  

Economics

Any discussion of solidarity that rests on expectations of compensation, incentives, need, and exchange are rooted in economic theory and practice. For instance, sociologist Ulf Tranow’s analysis of “solidarity norms” takes a Marxist approach when noting that there must be some sacrifice, without the expectation of compensation. Althammer notes that “the characteristic feature of solidarity is the unidirectional mode of interaction which comes along with the sacrifice of some kind of scarce resource (e.g. time, money, effort)” (14). Notions of solidarity are infused with capitalist terminology, particularly within a Western industrialized society such as the United States, because capitalism governs our everyday lives. Social scientists argue that solidarity resists the competitive capitalist individualism that pervades our society (hampton and Hartman 2022; Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández, Jennifer Brant and Chandni Desai 2022). In addition, ethical engagement often espouses taking an asset-based (instead of a deficit-based, or need-based) approach to working together. How can an economic approach to solidarity based on need be reconciled with an asset-based approach?

Religion

Solidarity as a moral imperative shows up in many religions and worldviews, a few instances of which are noted below. Catholic theological ethicist Conor Kelly argues that “everyday solidarity” based on a moral principle, is an effective antidote to individualism, particularly in capitalist societies like the United States. Kelly’s belief that “the relational perspective of everyday solidarity asks each person to examine his or her options in order to choose the actions that will provide the maximum benefits for his or her relationships” (431). This idea mirrors closely the Lutheran concept of vocational discernment and how one’s choices of their life roles (or how to respond to the roles we do not choose) affect those they are in relationship with and, as such, to consider the common good with respect to one’s vocational pathway. The contemporary concept of “Accompaniment” within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Liberation Theology more broadly advocates a “walking with and alongside” approach to mission work but they acknowledge this has not always been realized by members of their community. 

In a blog post for the Lion’s Roar, novice Zen priest and anthropologist Dr. Doshin Nathan Wood describes the Zen Buddhist notion of karuna, or “active sympathy” embodied through empathy, in relationship with dana, or the “individual expression of sympathy for the shared good;” together, karuna and dana work towards communal solidarity. He cites a non-Buddhist example of this when he recalls how Dr. Larycia Hawkins’ call in December 2015 for Christians to wear a hijab for Advent in an act of “embodied solidarity” during the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in the mid-2010s, an act that ultimately led to her own termination from the faculty at Wheaton College. See Dr. Hawkins’ presentation on the #EmbodiedSolidarity movement at St. Olaf College here.

Political Science

Solidarity often leans towards the political, a banding together to achieve, as Althammer puts it, a “recognition of social rights and the public provision of means that are necessary for a full participation in a political community” (11). Of course, this definition intersects with many of the examples already noted, but has manifested most concretely in the creation of the social welfare state whereby the government has an obligation to provide for its members. In addition, many solidarity movements have a clearly expressed goal of accruing more political power by making public policy changes that directly impact themselves and others. The creation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is one example of several nation-states banding together in solidarity for the common good. 

Reciprocity and solidarity as relational concepts appear on the surface to be nearly synonymous, but teasing out nuances can help us better understand how we are framing and showing up for ethical engagement with others. One approach is to consider reciprocity as a core value that is already embedded within a solidarity framework. Another approach is to consider that reciprocity is based on an expectation of exchange or transaction, whereas solidarity opens up the potential for exchange back and forth but can also be one-directional in support of a shared goal that does not necessarily result in tangible benefits for all participants; if you expect something in return, you are likely not acting in solidarity. 

It may also be that people need to be in solidarity with an effort before they can ethically be in solidarity with people directly, such as in predominantly white institutions’ and communities’ work on the truth, healing, and reconciliation with their Indigenous neighbors. If reciprocity is seen primarily as a mutually beneficial exchange, reciprocity may not be appropriate given that settlers are on stolen lands and it is up to settlers to commit to a “solidarity sacrifice” (Tranow, 46), some sort of material transfer that is deliberately not reciprocal. It is the responsibility of settlers to determine how to proceed meaningfully based on the historical context of settler colonialism in their particular geographic locale and the current direction of sovereignty efforts led by Indigenous elders and neighbors.  

In short, reciprocity can take the form of a one-time transaction, but solidarity requires effortful actions built over time with other people around a shared goal.

Afolabi, Michael Olusegun. 2015. “A Vulnerability/Solidarity Framework for a Global Ethic: Historical & Contemporary Applications.” Revista Română de Bioetică, 13(1): 44-68.

Althammer, Jörg. 2019. “Solidarity: From Small Communities to Global Societies.” In Solidarity in Open Societies, 5-23. Edited by Jörg Althammer, Bernhard Neumärker, and Ursula Nothelle-Wildfeuer. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Boucher, Michael. 2020. More Than an Ally: A Caring Solidarity Framework for White Teachers of African American Students. Rowman & Littlefield.

Dean, Jodi. 1998. “Feminist Solidarity, Reflective Solidarity: Theorizing Connections after identity politics.” Women and Politics, 18(4): 1-26.

Dean, Jodi. 1996. Solidarity of Strangers: Feminism after Identity Politics. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Durkheim, Émile. 1893/1984. The Division of Labour in Society. Trans. George Simpson. London: Collier-Macmillan Limited.

Freire, Paulo. 1968/1970. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Trans. Myra Bergman Ramos. New York: Herder and Herder.

Gaztambide-Fernández, Rubén Jennifer Brant, and Chandni Desai. 2022. “Toward a Pedagogy of Solidarity.” Curriculum Inquiry, 52(3): 251-265. 

hampton, rosalind and Michelle Hartman. 2022. “Solidarity in Multiple Registers.” Curriculum Inquiry, 52(3): 326-336. 

Houston, Serin D. and Kirk Langeband Lange. 2018. “‘Global/Local’ Community Engagement: Advancing Integrative Learning and Situated Solidarity.” Journal of Geography in Higher Education. 42(1): 44-60.

Kelly, Conor M. 2020. “Everyday Solidarity: A Framework for Integrating Theological Ethics and Ordinary Life.” Theological Studies, 81(2): 414-37.

Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta, ed. 2017. How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective. Chicago: Haymarket Books.

Tranow, Ulf. 2019. “Solidarity as a System of Norms.” In Solidarity in Open Societies, 25-55. Edited by Jörg Althammer, Bernhard Neumärker, and Ursula Nothelle-Wildfeuer. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

“Solidarity Is This” Podcast: https://solidarityis.org/our-work/solidarity-is-this-podcast/

Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions Toolkit: https://www.cbglcollab.org/intro-to-toolkit 

Solidarity Statement Examples: 

• Solidarity with the movement to stop Cop City & defend the Weelaunee Forest (2023)
• Bay Area Latinx and Asian Community Groups Unite to Support Half Moon Bay Victims and Survivors (2023) 
• Movement for Black Lives Statement on Anti-Asian Violence (2021) 
• Solidarity Letter from the Immigrant Justice Movement (2020) 
• Lifted Voices Statement of Solidarity With the Water Protectors of #NoDAPL (2016) 
• Statement of the Palestinian Youth Movement USA Branch in Support of the Weekend of Resistance in St. Louis and Ferguson (2014)

These activities may be done individually, with classmates/group members, and/or with community partners. There is a set of questions and topics for before or at the beginning of the community engagement and another set that can be used during and/or after the experience. The questions are a labeled below for their suggested use.

• What is your experience with solidarity, as defined in this module? Give at least one example of solidarity that you have observed directly, and briefly explain how it affected you.
• How much time do you spend engaging with topics that don’t affect you personally? 
• What issues have you been motivated by, and why? Were your actions on this issue(s) an example of acting in solidarity? Why or why not?

• What are some areas in which you do, and don’t, hold power because of your different identities and the ways that they intersect with each other? Refer to this Social Identity Wheel to guide your reflection. 
• How will your power and privilege change in the spaces you occupy and the people you engage with? 
• How can you help build a space of trust for people to share their lived experiences as it relates to your shared goals around relationship and community building?

• How can you practice empathetic listening to center community priorities and the stories of others within your work?  What are some other ways you give and make time for others to tell their story?
• When discussing privileges, how can you work to make sure that you don’t perpetuate negative experiences that others (peers, partners) may have of you based on your (perceived or real) power differentials?
• How will you respond if you do commit a microaggression or are told that you have harmed someone else?
• How do you respond when someone questions your experiences, and what does your anticipated response tell you and others about the power and privilege you hold?
• What can you learn from other people’s experiences when they have felt unsafe and work to address systemic barriers to safety and well-being?
• When we know we have limited time in any one place or in any one relationship (i.e., like four years on a college campus, or a single semester abroad), how do we act in solidarity in the most ethical and responsible way?

Solidarity is generally thought of as the glue that holds society together, based on commitments to better include ALL people and groups in the pursuit of the common good, and in the spirit of universal humanity. Yet, the meaning of solidarity can become more complex and fraught after having had experience with it. 

• How has your experience with solidarity in this class been different from your initial expectations or your previous experiences (academic, volunteer, or paid) with community engagement and solidarity efforts?
  • How have you been challenged emotionally, intellectually, and physically?
  • Describe a specific situation that challenged being in solidarity with others. Why do you think it was challenging? What did you learn about the impact of social identities on community engagement?
• How does vocation (Life on Purpose. For the Common Good) play a role in solidarity expression?

Consider the following questions about what solidarity means to you based on your experience. Try to come up with specific examples from your experience that inform your response.

• What does acting in solidarity mean to you? How is solidarity different from charity? 
• Solidarity is not a feeling or belief; it is an action that requires an investment of time, resources, humility, and relationships. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 
• Solidarity is not something you can achieve, it’s something you continually practice. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 
• How might positionality and a person’s explicit or complicit role in systems of power affect who is responsible for shouldering the effort of solidarity?
• When you are practicing being in solidarity, can it be with a group of people, or an issue/effort, or both? In other words, does being in solidarity have to be based on relationships between people? And if so, how can we frame global solidarity around relationship building? Can you be in solidarity with people who are not in proximity (physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) with you?
• What are potential downfalls or negative results (social, political, etc.) of solidarity?