Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes.[1][2] Solidarity does not reject individuals and sees individuals as the basis of society.[3] 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 and bioethics.[4] It is a significant concept in Catholic social teaching and in Christian democratic political ideology.[5] Although closely related to the concept of charity, solidarity aspires to change whole systems, not merely to help individuals.[6][7]
Concepts of solidarity are mentioned in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights,[9] but not defined clearly.[10] As biotechnology and biomedical enhancement research and production increase, the need for a distinct definition of solidarity within healthcare system frameworks is important.[editorializing]
^Fitzpatrick, Tony; Kwon, Huck-ju; Manning, Nick; James Midgley, Gillian Pascall (4 July 2013). International Encyclopedia of Social Policy. Routledge. p. 1866. ISBN978-1-136-61003-5.