21 (Dean 1996, 40)

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(Dean 1996, 40)

Once solidarity becomes reflective, we can no longer establish once and for all the expectations of solidary groups. How we understand ourselves as a "we," the expectations we have of ourselves and others, changes over time, varying with respect to our needs, circumstances, and understanding of what is necessary to secure the integrity of our relationships. What it means to stand by and take responsibility for another differs according to the context. Admittedly, this could render solidarity so formal as to empty it completely. To avoid this problem, I fill out the concept by suggesting four different ways in which we share in another’s life context. Rather than empirical or logical categories, these levels are conceptual "courts of appeal," increasingly larger groups to which we appeal for solidarity. They remind us that we can never establish once and for all who is included in any given "we"; the criteria for inclusion always vary with respect to our context and circumstances. [Dean, Jodi. 1996. Solidarity of Strangers: Feminism after Identity Politics. Berkeley:University of California Press.]