Shared social identity is the causal variable predicting solidarity among disaster strangers.

Evidence

Of course, collective resilient behaviours such as social support are not inevitable in emergencies and disasters, and there are many examples in the literature of pushing and other competitive behaviours in such events (Bartolucci et al., 2021; Chertkoff & Kushigian, 1999). Each of the key predictors in the social identity model of collective resilience is a variable. Thus, the model suggests that if there is little or low shared social identity among survivors, there will be less cooperation among strangers. In a study that compared experiences of participants across eleven different emergencies (including both genuine and perceived terrorist attacks), we found a range of levels of identification with the crowd among interviewees. People who reported high levels of shared social identity with others in the crowd were more likely to report common fate and engagement in solidarity behaviours than those who reported low or vague levels of shared social identity with the crowd (Drury et al., 2009b). An experiment using virtual reality technology found a similar pattern, using behavioural measures of helping (Drury, Cocking, Reicher, Burton et al., 2009). — John Drury and Evangelos Ntontis, A SOCIAL IDENTITY MODEL OF COLLECTIVE…, 26

Categorization

• XREF: Core to the reader’s thesis: solidarity with strangers tracks measured shared identity, not an enemy — corroborates emergency social-identity research across eleven incidents plus VR experiment. — connects to: Shared emergent identity from common fate explains collective support amid disasters — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 15; Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56; A shared identity can emerge within a crowd only after an emergency begins. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 61 (+21 more)
• QUESTION: What exactly distinguishes high versus low shared-identity conditions that would let us engineer them? The variable nature of the predictors is the key open question.

Related

• Shared emergent identity from common fate explains collective support amid disasters (similarity 0.90)
• Shared identity that enables crowd helping often emerges during an emergency rather than pre-existing. (similarity 0.90)
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources (similarity 0.90)
• Post-disaster solidarity toward strangers stems from emergent shared social identity, not prior personal ties. (similarity 0.90)
• A shared identity can emerge within a crowd only after an emergency begins. (similarity 0.89)
• Solidarity among emergency survivors stems from perceiving strangers as oneself. (similarity 0.89)
• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. (similarity 0.89)
• Observing others act together drives disaster solidarity more than identification (similarity 0.89)
• Disaster survivors who feel shared fate identify socially and give emotional support (similarity 0.89)
• Shared fate in danger makes strangers act as one group offering help. (similarity 0.89)
• Shared identity can emerge rapidly during, not before, an emergency. (similarity 0.89)
• Pre-disaster social bonds cannot explain solidarity among strangers during crises. (similarity 0.88)
• Shared identity can be an outcome of mutual aid, not only its cause (similarity 0.88)
• Existing social bonds do not always explain emergency collective behaviour (similarity 0.87)
• Shared identity in crowds produces solidarity and expected mutual support. (similarity 0.87)

Broader Connections

• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49
• Shared identity generates expectations of support and trust among group members #expands (0.80) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 16
• Shared identity underpins commoner formation and collective action. #corroborates (0.78) — Jessica Carrick-Hagenbarth, Institutional Bricolage and Commoning…, 133
• Collective identity is a shared place in the social world #qualifies (0.75)
• Formal similarity of social position creates solidarity regardless of personal character #qualifies (0.72) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 595