Pandemic solidarity: society’s responses to state insufficiency

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic reached Brazil in a context of political and economic crises that have exacerbated existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. Individuals and organizations undertook actions to support others to mitigate the pandemic effects. Thirty-four interviews were conducted from October to November 2020 to identify the supportive actions to help others, analyzing them concerning (pandemic) solidarity. Solidarity and individualism frequently appeared in the interviews as qualifiers of such actions. Furthermore, we identified three cores in which these actions were staged: the family, the condominium, and the community. The family was mentioned as mutual support based on kinship. On the other hand, condominium actions were subdivided into intramural (mutual support actions among similar people) and extramural actions (which reveal the differentiation between the condominium and more impoverished places). The community emerges as a more powerful type of action, with self-management, mutual support, and shared vulnerability experiences. In this sense, the results encourage us to understand solidarity as a way of transforming society, regardless of the State’s presence.

摘要 新冠大流行（COVID-19 pandemic）传入巴西之际，当地正处于政治与经济危机的背景中，此类危机进一步加剧了既有的不平等与社会脆弱性。个人与各类组织纷纷开展支援行动，以缓解疫情带来的负面影响。本研究于2020年10月至11月期间完成34次访谈，旨在识别各类助人支援行动，并围绕（疫情下的）团结（solidarity）对这些行动展开分析。访谈文本中频繁以“团结”与“个人主义”作为此类行动的定性描述词汇。此外，研究团队识别出此类行动开展的三大核心场域：家庭、共管公寓社区（condominium）与社区（community）。家庭场域的行动以基于亲属纽带的互助为核心特征。与之相对，共管公寓社区的行动可进一步细分为内部互助行动（即同类群体间的相互支援）与外部互助行动——此类行动凸显了共管社区与贫困程度更高的区域之间的分化。社区场域则展现出更具影响力的行动模式，具备自我管理、互助协作与共担脆弱性体验的鲜明特征。就此而言，本研究结果支持将团结视为一种推动社会变革的路径，无论国家层面是否提供介入与支持。