Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka, "the Strains of Commitment: Political Sources of Solidarity in Diverse Societies"

This paper presents an analytical framework for thinking about the political sources of solidarity in diverse societies. The paper is organized around three key questions. First, what is social solidarity and is it important?  Second, if it is important, is diversity really a threat, or are anxieties about diversity a misdiagnosis of deeper forces weakening the sense of mutual support in modern societies? Third, are there political sources of solidarity in diverse societies? In addressing this final question, the final section of the paper seeks to identify the kinds of political institutions, political identities and policies that help sustain and enhance solidarity in the context of growing diversity. Throughout the discussion, we focus primarily on European experience.