Work performed, and main results achieved
SOLIDUS has combined an in-depth review of the literature conducted in each work package together with a large fieldwork developed across the European territory to achieve the defined research objectives. Specifically, this fieldwork was composed by: 181 inventory cases, 107 case studies, 542 interviews, 34 focus groups, an online survey to 471 officials working in the public sector (158 completed 371 partially completed), a meta-database on existing information about solidarity and welfare policies (Solidaritydata), and the Transnational European Solidarity Survey (TESS) to a sample of 12500 citizens in 13 EU countries.
Overview of the results
The SOLIDUS project has led to three different types of outcomes and results which have been collected in the diverse deliverables to the EC, that are available through the Participant Portal and the project website (
https://solidush2020.eu/(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
First, SOLIDUS has worked on the conceptualization of solidarity. Each work package, focusing on different aspects of solidarity, contributed a specific literature review which resulted into a collection of different concept papers. An overview of these conceptualizations is the “Research report on conceptualizing European solidarity”, which presents a review and synopsis of main findings from the theoretical discussions.
Second, there are important contributions drawing from the empirical research and fieldwork of the project collected in the corresponding research reports of each WP. While each report elaborates in particular dimensions with crucial information found, there are some of the findings worth highlighting in this summary:
a) There are several conditions that favour solidarity with social and political impact; most of them are linked to a capability approach. They were identified through the analysis of drivers and barriers across case studies. Some of these conditions are social (i.e. internal democracy, level of plurality, level of transparency, achieving recognition and scalability) and some conditions are personal (i.e. level of awareness and preparedness for solidarity, and creation of meaning).
b) There is relative high level of support for solidarity among European citizens, higher than political elites and scientific observers might expect. This was found through the analysis of TESS data. Particularly, the responses from citizens in 13 EU countries revealed overwhelming support of attitudes towards social security towards vulnerable groups (i.e. unemployed, elder and sick) to “all Europeans” beyond nation state frameworks.
The third type of outcome is the transference of research results into policy recommendations addressed to stakeholders, policy makers and civil society organizations. In this line, the SOLIDUS has released 4 policy briefs. Additionally, the project also released a handbook as a practical guide for social actors and policy making, entitled “Handbook on fostering solidarity: successful strategies of public-private cooperation in instilling solidarity practices”.
Exploitation and dissemination of the results
SOLIDUS developed a deliverable titled “D10.1 Dissemination and outreach plan that describes the dissemination planned during the project: SOLIDUS webpage, Twitter and Facebook accounts, scientific articles and chapter books, papers in international conferences, audiovisual content, press releases and newsletters, 11 country public events on “acts of solidarity”, policy briefs, handbook, 4 European Seminars, SOLIDUS Public Event.
