SOLIDARITY AS A RESOURCE FOR RECOVERY: THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND THE UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of social solidarity as a critically important social and value-based resource for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and stabilization. It emphasizes that the recovery process is not merely technical or economic but primarily a social and value-based challenge requiring the strengthening of trust infrastructure and shared responsibility.
The study analyzes key theoretical approaches to solidarity – ranging from functionalism (É. Durkheim, T. Parsons) and critical theory (J. Habermas) to the concepts of social capital (R. Putnam) and the network society (M. Castells). The authors highlight the necessity of transition from bonding (intra-group ties) to bridging (horizontal ties between different groups) to ensure inclusive recovery.
The empirical section focuses on two key manifestations of active solidarity: the volunteer movement and veteran reintegration. It is established that volunteering is the most powerful expression of horizontal solidarity, demonstrating willingness, gratuitousness, and social utility. A significant share of volunteers are internally displaced persons (IDPs), pointing to a unique model of mutual integration. Concurrently, veteran reintegration is recognized by the civil sector as the key societal challenge (Chatham House, 2024), transforming solidarity into a resource for social healing and collective reframing of the war experience.
The article concludes that the wartime "mobilization solidarity," which sustained resilience, must be transformed into institutionalized "reconstruction solidarity" to overcome risks of social differentiation and negativism in relations between society and the state. Solidarity ceases to be merely a reaction to crisis and becomes a value of a new social contract that will ensure Ukraine's human-centric, inclusive, and sustainable recovery.