B_07 Solidarity Practices in Processes of Societal Transformation
Projects
- Sections:
- Berlin, Constance
- Disciplines:
- Social/Cultural Anthropology , History , Psychology , Sociology
Abstract
Periods of profound societal change can intensify social divisions and conflicts. At the same time, however, new solidaristic alliances and practices emerge with those affected by marginalization. This work package examines and compares the development of solidarity practices in Germany, France, and Poland, focusing on labor struggles since 1970 and increased immigration since 2015.
The work package investigates new forms of cohesion that emerge when people act in solidarity—that is, when they engage in practical support for others and for a shared cause. In diverse societies, this process of becoming solidaristic constitutes a necessary precondition for forming alliances among unequal groups.
We focus on solidarity practices within and alongside marginalized milieus, situated in the context of major societal transformations in both the past and the present. We ask how marginalized populations experience and generate cohesion despite—or precisely because of—marginalization. We address this question through a European comparative perspective, drawing on the following cases:
- Labor struggles in the Federal Republic of Germany and France during the 1970s
- Labor struggles in East Germany after 1989 and in Poland during the 1980s and 1990s
- Migration and solidarity movements since the so-called long summer of migration in 2015
We observe concrete everyday practices on the ground and analyze narratives and documents. This enables us to understand the dynamics of solidaristic processes. By comparing protest and organizational forms in labor struggles and migration movements, we identify both their specific characteristics and the factors that contribute to the success or failure of solidarity.
Transfer Activities
We aim to make our research accessible to nonacademic audiences. We are further developing the existing public web portal Solidaritaetsgeschichten.de into a trans-European platform where individuals share personal stories of solidarity and cohesion in times of crisis and transformation. In addition, we offer a range of exchange formats, including storytelling salons, social media communication, podcasts, and exhibitions.
While responses to (actual or perceived) marginalization are often characterized by withdrawal or regressive revolt (exit), this work package (WP), situated within Research Focus 2 of Research Area B, centers on solidarity practices within and alongside marginalized milieus. The core question is how marginalized populations experience and generate cohesion despite—or precisely because of—marginalization (voice), and how they navigate expectations articulated by the dominant culture and its institutions (loyalty).
Specifically, the WP examines which solidarity practices enable (new) forms of cohesion in periods of societal transformation in both past and present—particularly labor struggles in the wake of deindustrialization and migration movements. The analysis proceeds from the assumption that cohesion is, among other things, an effect of solidarity practices that emerge and can be observed within specific milieus or movements. This situated form of cohesion can, in turn, shape broader conceptions of social cohesion as such.
At the center of the research are conjunctures of labor struggles and migration movements: labor struggles in the Federal Republic of Germany and France during the 1970s, in which migrant workers played a leading role; labor struggles in the former GDR after 1989 and in Poland during the 1980s and 1990s; and, finally, migration and solidarity movements since the so-called long summer of migration in 2015, which have taken shape and unfolded differently in Germany, France, and Poland. Overall, the focus is on solidarity practices that point to transnational dynamics and processes of exchange.
A key objective of the WP is to systematically link topics and research areas that are usually perceived as separate or treated as distinct subdisciplines. Research on labor struggles rarely engages with migrant struggles, just as research on migration movements seldom refers to workers’ protests. By foregrounding the overarching question of solidarity practices, the WP relates labor struggles and migration movements to one another. This also entails addressing overlaps between their respective protest and organizational forms as well as their specific characteristics. In doing so, the WP identifies conditions under which solidarity practices succeed or fail, within a historical-comparative and transnational perspective.
Another central concern is to approach solidarity through concrete social practices. The focus is therefore on everyday experiences of what can be described as processes of becoming solidaristic. Such processes are understood as a prerequisite for alliances among unequal groups with regard to gender, origin, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions in increasingly plural societies. In this sense, the WP complements and extends intellectual-historical and philosophical engagements with solidarity by emphasizing the agency and autonomy of social actors.
