Solidarity, State, social action

Solidarity practices have not remained static over the past centuries. With European modernization, especially following World War II, they were making headway forms of large scale solidarity, carried out by state institutions. These expressions of solidarity are coexisting with other arising from associations. The relationship between these two types of solidarity raises several problems. Solidarity associations move in a field in which ambivalence is inevitable, and, as has often been pointed out, need to win autonomy, not only in the financial aspect, which often tends to shrink. The relationship between professionals and volunteers is another issue demanding a renewed reflection. Discussions on associative models need to remain open and alive, but often seem locked given the difficulties in finding satisfactory solutions to the raised problems.