Between Individual Freedom and Collective Responsibility: Dynamics of Social Solidarity in the Age of Individualism

Abstract

This study explores how individualism influences social solidarity using a qualitative literature review. The analysis addresses two main questions: how individualistic orientations shape the form and intensity of solidarity, and which factors strengthen or weaken this relationship. Findings show that individualism has shifted solidarity from ascriptive bonds to voluntary affiliations, from comprehensive life-wide solidarity to segmental ties limited to specific contexts, and from moral obligation to rational cost–benefit considerations. Urbanization and high mobility weaken place-based solidarity, while within families individualistic values prioritize autonomy and personal achievement over togetherness. Digital technology creates new forms of solidarity that transcend geographic boundaries but often remain superficial and reinforce self-orientation. However, the impact of individualism is not deterministic. Its effects are mediated by economic structures and social policies, educational quality, the role of religious communities and civil society organizations, technology design and usage, cultural traditions, demographic and family structures, crisis management, and economic inequality. Societies that balance individual freedom with collective responsibility through supportive institutions can sustain social solidarity despite increasing individualism.