Solidarity

Solidarity is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies cause creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one. The term is generally employed in sociology, and the other social sciences as well as in philosophy, bioethics, and Catholic social teaching. It is also a significant concept in Catholic social teaching therefore it is a core concept in Christian democratic political ideology.'The number and importance of mutual-aid institutions which were developed by the creative genius of the savage and half-savage masses, during the earliest clan-period of mankind and still more during the next village-community period, and the immense influence which these early institutions have exercised upon the subsequent development of mankind, down to the present times, induced me to extend my researches to the later, historical periods as well; especially, to study that most interesting period – the free medieval city republics, whose universality and influence upon our modern civilization have not yet been duly appreciated. And finally, I have tried to indicate in brief the immense importance which the mutual-support instincts, inherited by mankind from its extremely long evolution, play even now in our modern society, which is supposed to rest upon the principle 'every one for himself, and the State for all,' but which it never has succeeded, nor will succeed in realizing'.'This results in the guiding principle for our actions is the Bioethical Imperative: Respect every living being in general as an end in itself, and treat it if possible, as such'No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world ... the Brazilian people, particularly the humblest among you, can offer the world a valuable lesson in solidarity, a word that is too often forgotten or silenced because it is uncomfortable ... I would like to make an appeal to those in possession of greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity Solidarity is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies cause creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one. The term is generally employed in sociology, and the other social sciences as well as in philosophy, bioethics, and Catholic social teaching. It is also a significant concept in Catholic social teaching therefore it is a core concept in Christian democratic political ideology. What forms the basis of solidarity and how it's implemented varies between societies. In developing societies it may be mainly based on kinship and shared values while more developed societies accumulate various theories as to what contributes to a sense of solidarity, or rather, social cohesion. Solidarity is also one of six principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and December 20 of each year is International Human Solidarity Day recognized as an international observance. Concepts of solidarity are mentioned in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, but not defined clearly. As biotechnology and biomedical enhancement research and production increase, the need for distinct definition of solidarity within healthcare system frameworks is important. According to Émile Durkheim, the types of social solidarity correlate with types of society. Durkheim introduced the terms mechanical and organic solidarity as part of his theory of the development of societies in The Division of Labour in Society (1893). In a society exhibiting mechanical solidarity, its cohesion and integration comes from the homogeneity of individuals—people feel connected through similar work, educational and religious training, and lifestyle. Mechanical solidarity normally operates in 'traditional' and small scale societies. In simpler societies (e.g., tribal), solidarity is usually based on kinship ties of familial networks. Organic solidarity comes from the interdependence that arises from specialization of work and the complementarities between people—a development which occurs in 'modern' and 'industrial' societies.