Solidarity and social justice knowledge clips notes
Nine Plantenga
Knowledge clip 1.1: Solidarity – sociological and historical roots
Historical roots of solidarity
Practical assumptions: how do we depend on each other
Normative assumptions: what do we expect from each other
When you look historically at solidarity, it is about:
A common identity: shared aims and interest (mutual attachment)
Family/ kinship (gezin)
Fraternity (brotherhood): voluntary relationships with others
- Christian value: fellowship (same interest)
Political value: in the French Revolution, fraternity becomes symbolic, for the fight
for freedom and equality
Community: In the 19th century, solidarity was mainly seen in terms of community.
- Gemeinschaft: shared life experiences (work, community); community; a
willingness to share recourses.
Shift to (Theunis):
- Gesellschaft: society (solidarity as a moral principle underlying society (and the
welfare state))
Sociological roots of solidarity
Solidarity: sociological critique of social contract (Hobbes, Locke, Spencer)
- Social contract: implicit (suggested) societal agreement about sharing recourses
Leroux, Comte and Tonnies argued the social contract theory, because they thought
it was too focused on rational acting (act for self-interest)
- Leroux focused on that people are depended on and interdepending with others
- Leroux: solidarity is having shared values
- Comte: solidarity as an integrative mechanism in society something that holds
society together
Durkheim (late 19th century, industrial revolution):
Solidarity is a normative, integrated mechanism
Mechanical solidarity
Durkheim sees this appearance in pre-industrial (traditional) society
Little differentiation (sameness) people had the same lifestyle
Collective consciousness people had a shared set of beliefs, norms and ideas
this bounded society together
Material element: people are alike
Subjective element: people think alike
Organic solidarity
Durkheim sees this appearance in modern (industrial) society
People became less self-sufficient people rely more on other people and their
specialization
Specialization/ high degree of differentiation/ division of labor
, Individual consciousness we’re becoming aware of how depended on we are from
other people
Interdependence the differences between people are getting bigger, so the
interdependence also becomes bigger
Knowledge clip 1.2: Forms of solidarity – a sociological perspective
Forms of solidarity:
Human solidarity: is about thighs between humans. It is about the earlier
conceptions of solidarity (like thighs between family members)
Social solidarity: is about solidarity as a cohesive element in society what keeps us
connected in society?
Political solidarity: a group of people are standing up for their shared interests
actively taking a role for your shared interests.
Civic solidarity: this is referring to the welfare state it redistributes resources
among the population of its citizens.
Critique about the forms of solidarity:
There is not much of a distinction between the subjects (who is giving solidarity) and
the objects (who is (not) receiving solidarity) of solidarity. So there is insufficient
clarity between solidarity as a concept and social justice.
There is an assumption that each of this these 4 forms about solidarity is somehow
exclusive.
Exclusive vs. inclusive solidarity:
Exclusionary ingroup solidarity: this exists between a group of people based of
shared identity of common interest this excluded the people who don’t have that
shared identity.
Inclusionary outgroup solidarity: being solidaristic with people who do have
different identities, interests, of social/cultural heritage than we (look back at
Durkheims industrial societies).
- Example: refugees from Ukraine vs. refugees from other countries
With whom are we solidaristic?
Citizenship rights: citizens’ rights to have basic needs fulfilled, as a right of citizenship
rather than charity.
- Social citizenship rights: they include things that ensure that we have a
minimum standard of living. For example: our rights on education, tax benefits,
time to take off when a child is born etc.
- Civic citizenship rights: they guarantee our equality under the law. This is not
everywhere the case for minority groups. For instance, gay marriage is not legal
everywhere.
Boundary drawing: the inclusion and exclusion regarding the scope of justice and this
accurse across civic, social and familial solidarity.
Knowledge clip 1.3: The Social Identity Approach: The basics
Nine Plantenga
Knowledge clip 1.1: Solidarity – sociological and historical roots
Historical roots of solidarity
Practical assumptions: how do we depend on each other
Normative assumptions: what do we expect from each other
When you look historically at solidarity, it is about:
A common identity: shared aims and interest (mutual attachment)
Family/ kinship (gezin)
Fraternity (brotherhood): voluntary relationships with others
- Christian value: fellowship (same interest)
Political value: in the French Revolution, fraternity becomes symbolic, for the fight
for freedom and equality
Community: In the 19th century, solidarity was mainly seen in terms of community.
- Gemeinschaft: shared life experiences (work, community); community; a
willingness to share recourses.
Shift to (Theunis):
- Gesellschaft: society (solidarity as a moral principle underlying society (and the
welfare state))
Sociological roots of solidarity
Solidarity: sociological critique of social contract (Hobbes, Locke, Spencer)
- Social contract: implicit (suggested) societal agreement about sharing recourses
Leroux, Comte and Tonnies argued the social contract theory, because they thought
it was too focused on rational acting (act for self-interest)
- Leroux focused on that people are depended on and interdepending with others
- Leroux: solidarity is having shared values
- Comte: solidarity as an integrative mechanism in society something that holds
society together
Durkheim (late 19th century, industrial revolution):
Solidarity is a normative, integrated mechanism
Mechanical solidarity
Durkheim sees this appearance in pre-industrial (traditional) society
Little differentiation (sameness) people had the same lifestyle
Collective consciousness people had a shared set of beliefs, norms and ideas
this bounded society together
Material element: people are alike
Subjective element: people think alike
Organic solidarity
Durkheim sees this appearance in modern (industrial) society
People became less self-sufficient people rely more on other people and their
specialization
Specialization/ high degree of differentiation/ division of labor
, Individual consciousness we’re becoming aware of how depended on we are from
other people
Interdependence the differences between people are getting bigger, so the
interdependence also becomes bigger
Knowledge clip 1.2: Forms of solidarity – a sociological perspective
Forms of solidarity:
Human solidarity: is about thighs between humans. It is about the earlier
conceptions of solidarity (like thighs between family members)
Social solidarity: is about solidarity as a cohesive element in society what keeps us
connected in society?
Political solidarity: a group of people are standing up for their shared interests
actively taking a role for your shared interests.
Civic solidarity: this is referring to the welfare state it redistributes resources
among the population of its citizens.
Critique about the forms of solidarity:
There is not much of a distinction between the subjects (who is giving solidarity) and
the objects (who is (not) receiving solidarity) of solidarity. So there is insufficient
clarity between solidarity as a concept and social justice.
There is an assumption that each of this these 4 forms about solidarity is somehow
exclusive.
Exclusive vs. inclusive solidarity:
Exclusionary ingroup solidarity: this exists between a group of people based of
shared identity of common interest this excluded the people who don’t have that
shared identity.
Inclusionary outgroup solidarity: being solidaristic with people who do have
different identities, interests, of social/cultural heritage than we (look back at
Durkheims industrial societies).
- Example: refugees from Ukraine vs. refugees from other countries
With whom are we solidaristic?
Citizenship rights: citizens’ rights to have basic needs fulfilled, as a right of citizenship
rather than charity.
- Social citizenship rights: they include things that ensure that we have a
minimum standard of living. For example: our rights on education, tax benefits,
time to take off when a child is born etc.
- Civic citizenship rights: they guarantee our equality under the law. This is not
everywhere the case for minority groups. For instance, gay marriage is not legal
everywhere.
Boundary drawing: the inclusion and exclusion regarding the scope of justice and this
accurse across civic, social and familial solidarity.
Knowledge clip 1.3: The Social Identity Approach: The basics
