Solidarity on the Job: Resisting Dehumanization and Fighting for Democracy in the Diverse Workplace

Abstract

Challenging the dominant sociological framework suggesting that U.S. workers have bought into capitalist structures and internalized work cultures, this exploratory study uses the illustrative case study method to explore aspects of solidarity in the diverse workplace. In particular, it examines workers' actions to rectify imbalanced power relations and unjust treatment of those in marginalized statuses of class, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and physical ability. The focus is on a variety of roles taken on by “privileged allies,” such as inside agitators, creative bureaucrats and coalition builders, who use their organizational clout to stand with marginalized group members. Especially instructive are accounts of those in the “helping professions,” who challenge norms of specialized expertise and professional detachment and return control back to their clients. More research is needed to compare the experience of privileged allies who are themselves members of marginalized groups with those who are dominant group members. More data are also needed to explore conditions in which a single solidarity campaign evolves into an ongoing “culture of solidarity” in the workplace.