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Critical Social Ontology and Social Movements

  • Kevin Richardson
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Abstract

One can be in solidarity with a social movement. For example, one can be in solidarity with the movement for black lives; perhaps this looks like wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts. Alternatively, one can be in solidarity with feminists by attending a protest by a local feminist group. But what does it mean to be in solidarity with a social movement? Existing theories of solidarity explain what it means to be in solidarity with small, ideologically homogeneous social groups. This model of solidarity cannot be applied to large, complex social movements. The goal of this chapter is to give an account of what it means to be in solidarity with a social movement. On my view, being in solidarity with a social movement consists of being rationally responsive to movement actors while thinking of oneself as a movement actor.

Abstract

One can be in solidarity with a social movement. For example, one can be in solidarity with the movement for black lives; perhaps this looks like wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts. Alternatively, one can be in solidarity with feminists by attending a protest by a local feminist group. But what does it mean to be in solidarity with a social movement? Existing theories of solidarity explain what it means to be in solidarity with small, ideologically homogeneous social groups. This model of solidarity cannot be applied to large, complex social movements. The goal of this chapter is to give an account of what it means to be in solidarity with a social movement. On my view, being in solidarity with a social movement consists of being rationally responsive to movement actors while thinking of oneself as a movement actor.

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