Join us for a panel discussion on the recent themed section in Nations and Nationalism on ‘mechanisms of national solidarity’ with Danny Kaplan, Siniša Malešević, Lea David, Daniel Lainer-Vos, and Hizky Shoham on 6th February from 1730UTC (check this time in your city) live on Facebook and YouTube – members will receive an invitation to join the Zoom call.

The themed section on ‘Mechanisms of National Solidarity’ explores key questions and challenges related to studying national solidarity as distinct from national identity. Focusing on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what’, this section highlights the importance of examining and theorising the social mechanisms that shape different manifestations of national solidarity. These mechanisms include interpersonal interactions, social networks, communicative processes, socio-political institutions and iconic material objects. Additionally, the introduction briefly outlines the six contributions in this section, which examines specific solidarity mechanisms within particular national contexts. The contributions offer valuable insights into the study of nationhood and nationalism in both everyday life and public events, helping to unravel the under-explored relationship between collective identity formation and the creation of solidarity.

The articles are:
Introduction – Danny Kaplan
Clubs and events: Two models of performance in studies of sport and national solidarity – Danny Kaplan
Between deep comradeship and nationalism: The social dynamics of solidarity on the battlefield – Siniša Malešević
The victims’ shoes trope and emerging solidarity in political protest – Lea David
Orchestrating National Occasions: The formation of the Irish American athletic league in New York City (1904–1920) – Dan Lainer-Vos
Performing national practices of solidarity-through-sameness – Hizky Shoham