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

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 (N_total = 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.