SOLIDARITIES AND SOCIAL WORK
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Activities
!Save the Dates!
- 5 May 2027 (All day)
3rd SIG Workshop during the 16th European Conference for Social Work Research
at the University of Bucharest, in Bucharest, Romania
- Seminars online
14 October 2026: 14:15 - 15:45 (BST)/ 15:15-16:45 (CEST)
09 December 2026: 15:45 (BT)/ 15:15-16:45 (CET)
Reviews
SIG Workshops
- 2nd SIG Workshop ‘Concepts and Practices of Solidarity and Social Work’
Programme--> LINK
At the SIG workshop ‘Concepts and Practices of Solidarity and Social Work’ at the Robert Gordon University, international perspectives from research and practice came together – and demonstrated once again how central solidarity is to social work.
Different theoretical approaches, critical and decolonial perspectives, as well as empirical findings from research in various regions of the world, it became very much clear that:
π Solidarity is a lived practice.
π Not every form of group cohesion is solidarity
π Solidarity opens up new avenues for social interventions, policy and collaboration.
The interdisciplinary dialogue and the diversity of contributions – from Europe to Africa, Latin America and the Middle East – were particularly enriching.
A big thank you to all the speakers and participants for the exciting discussions and insights!
We are feeling very inspired and are already looking forward to get ready for the third SIG workshop at the 16th European Conference for Social Work Research in Bukarest!
SIG Seminars online
We hosted already 3 insightful online seminars exploring solidarity in contemporary Social Work.
In a first seminar, Prof. Dr. Thomas Geisen introduced the concept of relational solidarity, arguing that solidarity—understood as the everyday practice of “standing up for each other”—offers important intersectional and decolonial perspectives for strengthening Social Work research and practice.
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In 'Relocated Solidarity', Prof. Dr. Sui Ting Kong and Hei Chow examined how the Hongkonger diaspora in the UK redefines solidarity through political activism in exile and community-building efforts. Their presentation highlighted how social workers can act as bridges, advocates, and community innovators beyond a narrow safeguarding focus.
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The seminar "Ecosystem of Reintegration of Veterans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Times of Crisis: Coordination of Efforts Between the State, Communities, and Civil Society" of Dr. Anastasiia Shcherbakova, Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Public Governance, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering provided a timely and insightful discussion on the reintegration of veterans and internally displaced persons in Ukraine during times of crisis. We especially appreciated the strong focus on solidarity, cross-sector collaboration, and practical coordination strategies between the state, communities, and civil society to support long-term social cohesion and recovery.
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Together, the seminars reaffirme solidarity as a vital, relational, and transformative concept for Social Work.
We warmly recommend
Prof. Dr. Lynne Cairns, 'What does solidarity look like, feel like to you?'
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The SIG wants to establish an international network of researchers working on solidarity research in Social Work to promote and facilitate theoretical, methodological, empirical, and international comparative solidarity research.
The SIG wants (a) to initiate and establish international conferences, public forums, and lectures on solidarity research; (b) to offer new possibilities to publish interdisciplinary and innovative findings of solidarity research; and (c) to develop and strengthen solidarity research with researchers in areas of crisis, conflict and war.
Solidarity is the cohesive force that binds modern democratic societies. Welfare states and practices of solidarity are founded on political participation, social justice, and cultural self-determination, but solidarity’s development and preservation are neither inevitable nor linear. Current political, ecological, economic, cultural, and social crises and conflicts pose threats to democracy and are undermining established forms and key aspects of solidarity. These crises and conflicts erode fundamental aspects of solidarity such as protection and recognition. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how and what new forms of solidarity are emerging to meet the threats, address the concomitant social problems, and drive social change and innovation. The Solidarity Research Network (SRN) seeks
