Anthropological perspectives of solidarity and reciprocity

The concept of solidarity is ambiguous: it includes mechanisms of taxes and redistribution, charity, altruistic contributions and political support, social policy, concessions, grants, funds, food, clothes, social entrepreneurship, sponsorship, NGOS, etc. Communitarianism, equality and progress are their ideological pillars. Solidarity in mass culture is a form of ideational and tangible redistribution. Sociology based on the Marxist tradition has been rejecting perpetuation and masking of fundamental economic, social and political inequalities, but their classless society remained attached to nation-states. Following the game theory in the late 20th century, sociological and economic solidarity became a matter of rational choice among alternatives of group belonging (intentional communities) that could bring the greatest “profit” to an individual.