Sociology of Solidarity in Turbulent Times: Central Debates in an Openly Normative Field

Muhammad Amasha, Yale University

Solidarity is a concept that has been increasingly used in campus activism, social movements, media campaigns, and academic platforms. It is also a foundational concept in sociology, dating back to Durkheim and even Ibn Khaldun. While differently conceptualized, explained, and historicized (Cingolani, 2015; Crow, 2010; Gawerc, 2021; Hechter, 2015; Kalkhoff et al., 2011; Polletta, 2020; Smith and Sorrell, 2014; Tiryakian and Morgan, 2014), a central characteristic of the field is its open 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 “solidaristic” 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.

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 Presented in Session 18. Theorizing and Morality in Historical Social Science I: Ethics and Method