1. Studying Local Solidarity Laurens Buijs, PhD Candidate Solidarity in the 21 st Century AIAS & AISSR University of Amsterdam www.solidariteit.info 1 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

2. Contents General Project 1.What is the research project Solidarity in the 21 st Century? Qualitative Study 2.What is relational sociology? 3.How do I conceptualize and operationalize local solidarity in relational terms? 4.What are my research design and field strategies? 5.What is my research question? 2 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

3. 1. Research Project Solidarity in the 21 st Century Effects of societal changes (such as migration and ageing) on both informal and formal forms of solidarity. What kind of motives, conditions and circumstances are beneficial for the sustainment of solidarity between different groups in society? Interdisciplinary approach: qualitative case-studies, statistical data analysis, economic experiments, media analysis. www.solidariteit.info 3 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

4. 2. Relational Sociology The social as dynamic assembly Challenging the dominant ‘substantialist’ epistemology From static substances to relational processes Theoretical: Tarde, Elias, Emirbayer, Latour Empirical: Science & Technology Studies (STS) 4 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

5. 2. Relational Sociology The social as dynamic assembly 5 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs Static viewsDynamic views Society is a bounded collectiveSociety is a collective in the process of expanding The social constitutes of distinguishable substances as fundamental units of analysis (things, beings, essences) The social is a trail of associations between heterogeneous elements; a movement during a process of assembly All units that make up the social act under their own power All units derive their meaning, significance and identity from the (changing) roles they play in transaction

6. 2. Relational Sociology The social as dynamic assembly How to apply relational sociology to a study on local solidarity? Challenging three substantialist assumptions: a)From heterogeneity to social distance b)From motives to expressions c)From spatial units to matters of concern 6 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

7. Putnam’s social capital: ‘hunkering down’ in heterogeneous neighborhoods Dienst Onderzoek & Statistiek, gemeente Amsterdam (2009) 3. Local Solidarity a) Heterogeneity > Social distance 7 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

8. Culturalization in a national network (Uitermark 2010). The dynamic production of social distance: consonance, resonance, and dissonance between logics 3. Local Solidarity a) Heterogeneity > Social distance 8 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

9. 3. Local Solidarity a) Heterogeneity > Social distance Workings of inclusion and exclusion as dynamic: networks form around certain matters with actors who align themselves according to their interests through similar claims, statements, publications, positions, debates, myths, issues, etc. In this production of knowledge, logics (or discourses) form Dynamic concepts: consonance, resonance, dissonance, networks, logics, social distance 9 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

10. 3. Local Solidarity b) Motives > Expressions Homo economicus or homo empathicus? Actors are not “made to fit” into groups; concepts like ‘heterogeneity’ and ‘motives’ assume a static view in group formation “Relating to one group or another is an on- going process made up of uncertain, fragile, controversial, and ever-shifting ties” (Latour 2005: 28) 10 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

11. 3. Local Solidarity b) Motives > Expressions How to study group formation? – Spokespersons – Anti-groups – Definitions 11 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

12. 3. Local Solidarity b) Motives > Expressions Solidarity and the need to be social not as ‘motive’, but as human configuration that can have a range of cultural expressions (through mechanisms such as reciprocity). Dynamic concepts: consonance, resonance, dissonance, networks, logics, social distance, spokespersons, anti-groups, expressions 12 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

13. 3. Local Solidarity c) Space > Matters of concern Units of analysis generally selected in research on solidarity reveals substantialist perspective: static, bounded units of analysis Matters of concern: objects of controversies around which actors in different positions align themselves, forming a network Controversies as overflows: unforeseen effects, challenges established policy, institutional framework, knowledge and group delineations 13 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

14. 3. Local Solidarity c) Space > Matters of concern Multiculturalism as overflow Dynamic concepts: consonance, resonance, dissonance, networks, logics, social distance, spokespersons, anti-groups, expressions, matters of concern, overflows 14 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

15. Starting point: increase of (relative) power of culturalization on the national level (Uitermark 2010) Culturalization as hostile towards interethnic solidarity, but how do people relate to that on the local level? 4. Research Design & Field Strategies The selection of neighborhoods 15 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

16. Neighborhoods as mere ‘finding spots’; empirical focus on matters of concern 4. Research Design & Field Strategies The selection of neighborhoods 16 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

17. Interviews Ethnographic research 4. Research Design & Field Strategies Research methods 17 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

18. 5. Research Question What explains the dynamics between logics on the local level (formed around matters of concern) and the increasingly powerful culturalization logic on the national level, and how are these dynamics related to the production of social distance? 18 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

19. l.j.buijs@uva.nl 19 Solidarity in the 21th Century - Qualitative Study - Laurens Buijs

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