The Making of Solidarity

Social and digital networks in neighbourhoods

This research project investigates how community cohesion and solidarity can be strengthened in new, urbanized and digitalized neighbourhoods. At a time when mobility, diversity and digital networking are changing society, the concept of “neighbourhood” is more fluid and complex than ever.

Aim

New urban areas have become the daily living environment for many people. A positive and cohesive community life in these areas fosters security, quality of life, well-being, and social resilience.

Our goal is to understand how participation and solidarity contribute to the development of vibrant urban neighbourhoods. We aim to explore the factors that influence the sense of community and togetherness, and to identify the conditions under which these dynamics are shaped.

We examine both physical social interactions and virtual encounters on online community platforms organized by neighbourhoods, as well as their interplay. We are particularly interested in the diverse forms of social participation and community building, both online and offline as potential ways to develop the sense of belonging and cohesion.

Methodologies

The project is inter- and transdisciplinary, with two researchers from sociology of collective action and urban sociology collaborating with two researchers from political science and organizational and management studies. Both quantitative and qualitative, ethnographic and theory-based approaches are pursued.

To undertake our fieldwork, we are collaborating with a range of partners, most notably five residential communities located in both German- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland. Furthermore, in order to investigate neighbourhood dynamics within digital environments, we are engaging with the online community platform BeUnity.