Political Altruism? Solidarity Movements in International Perspective (review)

Political Altruism? Solidarity Movements in International Perspective. Edited by Marco Giugni and Florence Passy. Rowman & Littlefield, 2001. 283 pp. Cloth, $69.00; paper, $29.95.

In a world where discussions of recent trends in religion and culture often mention individualism and not-in-my-back-yard exclusionary impulses, it is refreshing to find an entire volume of sociological essays dedicated to exploring a rather different phenomenon. Political Altruism? seeks to explore an apparent rise in social movements oriented toward inclusion and solidarity, from European antiracist groups, to volunteer charity organizations, to long-distance solidarity with Third World refugees. In contrast to the self-interested rationality that is assumed in much collective action theory — for example, in discussions of the "free-rider" problem — these movements seem based in a moral vision that stretches beyond immediate personal grievances, where activists appear motivated by altruistic concern for others less fortunate than themselves, locally or internationally.

In general, the essays in this volume are more oriented toward defining the questions we need to address, rather than offering general understandings of altruism. Theoretical essays by Florence Passy, Charles Tilly, and Marco Giugni develop some conceptual questions about what they term "solidarity movements" — movements framed around altruistic concerns rather than around immediate personal interests — but most of the articles explore one or two specific cases of movements built on solidarity with others. Articles on antiracism movements (by Filleuile, Koopmans, Statham and Soule); on philanthropy (Ranci); international environmental groups (Passy and Giugni, Eterovic and Smith); and support for humanitarian interventions and refugees (Lahusen and Baglioni), all challenge social movement theorists to look more closely at the motives and patterns of activism aimed at helping others.

What are the social psychological issues involved in mobilizing activists for solidarity movements? How do solidarity movements frame issues in ways that appeal to broader constituencies, beyond those immediately committed to altruistic action? How do moral claims link up with changing global institutions, or how do symbolic demonstrations like fund-raising rock concerts or campus anti-apartheid shantytowns appeal to their audience? More an effort to provoke a discussion than to answer questions, this volume offers a series of starting points. Several authors deal with the problem of how we recognize altruism: Are activists simply seeking personal self-fulfillment by participating in solidarity movements? Several suggest bringing the study of social psychological mechanisms back into the study of mobilization, while others look at changing state policies, showing how new immigration policies alter the basis on which claims of inclusion can be made, or how changing social service provision creates new demands on private voluntary organizations. Some essays underscore cultural aspects of solidarity movements, as individuals are mobilized through rock concerts, the Catholic Church, or left-leaning sympathies. Since each author explores different cases, the dialogue between these perspectives is somewhat muted; but the overall effect underscores the challenge these movements pose for theories that emphasize activism arising from narrowly defined self-interest or along previously defined identities and lines of cleavage.

As a starting point for further debate, this volume also raises questions that remain to be fully explored in future work, by these authors and no doubt by a host of others. Almost all these essays discuss "solidarity movements" in Europe; is this simply the result of editors' networks, a consequence of who was invited to write for the volume, or is there something specific about the European context — Catholic and socialist legacies, the character of European social democracy, the legacy of colonialism, or the new institutional framework of the European Community — that lends itself to a solidarity framing? Is there a context-specific aspect to this trend, especially in relation to immigration, race, and postcolonial social tensions? What relation, if any, exists between the two American antiracist movements touched on in this volume (the American civil rights movement and the anti-apartheid movement) and the antiracist movements in France, Germany, and Britain discussed in different essays, and why are antiracist movements — in contrast...