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Your needs or mine? The role of allies' needs and their perceptions of disadvantaged groups' needs in motivating solidarity‐based actions

Sağlamöz, Ahmed Faruk, Kutlaca, Maja, Leite, Ana C. (2025) Your needs or mine? The role of allies' needs and their perceptions of disadvantaged groups' needs in motivating solidarity‐based actions. British Journal of Social Psychology, 64 (1). Article Number e12855. ISSN 0144-6665. E-ISSN 2044-8309. (doi:10.1111/bjso.12855) (KAR id:108493)

Abstract

We propose a new motivational model that integrates self‐determination theory (with a focus on basic needs) with social‐psychological research on allyship and solidarity to better understand when and why allies may engage in different actions to address social injustice. We theorize that normative (e.g., donations and protesting) and non‐normative (e.g., blocking highways and disrupting events) solidarity‐based actions are motivated by allies' basic needs (measured at the individual and group levels) as well as their perception of disadvantaged groups' basic needs (measured at the individual and group levels). We tested the model in two cross‐sectional studies using two different contexts: English citizens' solidarity (i.e., allies from a high‐status group) with Ukrainian refugees and students' solidarity (i.e., allies from a low‐status group) with the striking university employees in the United Kingdom (Ntotal = 1232). In both studies, we found that the more allies' needs were satisfied, the more likely they were to engage in normative solidarity actions. In contrast, intentions to engage in non‐normative solidarity actions were predicted by frustration of allies' needs. Perceptions of disadvantaged group's needs predicted engagement in both normative and non‐normative actions. Notably, high‐status allies' solidarity was driven by both individual and group‐level needs, whilst low‐status allies were only motivated by group‐level needs.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/bjso.12855
Uncontrolled keywords: self‐determination; solidarity‐based actions; high‐status allies; intraminority solidarity; normative and non‐normative actions; need satisfaction; basic psychological needs; collective action; allyship; need frustration
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Depositing User: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 23 Jan 2025 10:39 UTC
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2025 15:54 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/108493 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Leite, Ana C..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7829-5641
CReDIT Contributor Roles: Writing - review and editing, Investigation, Supervision, Conceptualisation, Methodology
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