Perceived interdependence and support for global solidarity

Authors – Sharon Baute, Max Heermann, Dirk Leuffen.

Abstract :

What makes citizens willing to support international solidarity? This study applies the often-theorized interdependence-solidarity link to the case of international solidarity. We analyze whether citizens, when confronted with interdependence primes, identify more strongly with the needy (= attitudinal component), and become more willing to engage in solidarity actions (= behavioral component). Solidarity here relates to a “feeling of belonging together” (van Parijs 2004), and “moral community formation” (Bayertz 1999), which can emerge from joint responsibilities (i.e. a retrospective perspective), as well as the acknowledgement of commonly shared consequences of action (i.e. a prospective view). We test our hypotheses by means of novel survey experiments on support for solidarity related to climate change and global health policies, which were fielded in nine countries around the globe. Our study thereby contributes to inspecting key mechanisms of international solidarity that can support the fight against global inequality.