Civic Solidarity: the negotiation of identity in modern societies
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Contemporary societies are marked by a diversity of opinions that pertain to \ndifferent cultural groups. Intercultural encounters have the potential for mutual \nenrichment but may also contain the seeds for conflict. This paper looks at the \nprocesses that bind people together in contemporary societies given their \ndiversity. Durkheim’s distinction between mechanical and organic forms of \nsocial solidarity is extended to a third variant: civic solidarity, that refers to the \nbonds that tie people together in shared interests based on group belonging and \nthe negotiation of identity. This paper argues that social identity processes \nunderlie contemporary forms of social solidarity in defining who one is for \nothers, based on the social representations characteristic of different groups. \nConsequently, social identities come to define what resources are available to \nwhom by way of social capital, and what intercultural relations are prescribed \ngiven specific types of group membership. [excerpt]
Source: OAR@UM (University of Malta)
Author: Gordon Sammut
Institution: University of Malta
Language: English
Topic: Modernity and Self-Identity
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2548060520