Sociologists have long been concerned with how to build the good society. The section on altruism, morality, and social solidarity directly addresses this question.
In the broadest sense, the subject matter of altruism and social solidarity consists of activities intended to benefit the welfare of others. These activities span the micro-macro continuum, from individual, to interpersonal, to organizational, to global. They include phenomena such as generosity, forgiveness, unlimited love, virtue, philanthropy, intergroup cooperation, and universalizing solidarity.
Section activities are directed towards establishing the study of altruism, morality, and social solidarity as a recognized field of theoretical development and empirical research within the discipline of sociology. These activities include the following: providing for regular exchanges of information through the section Newsletter and the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association; formally recognizing outstanding theoretical, empirical, and applied work in the field of altruism, morality, and social solidarity through annual awards; and linking with other scientific groups working on genetic, psychological, and cultural aspects of these phenomena.
In doing so, we seek to develop and augment a community of scholars motivated to gain greater knowledge and understanding of altruism, morality, and social solidarity. We emphasize the importance of the investigation of the policy implications of this knowledge, and the dissemination of information to publics regarding aspects of altruism, morality, and social solidarity that will benefit individual lives, the social organization of society, and the prevailing culture.
Bylaws
Annual Report (2025)
Award Recipient History
Section Council
Chair: Shai M. Dromi, Harvard University
Chair-Elect: Jeffrey Guhin, University of California, Los Angeles
Past Chair: Dana Moss, University of Notre Dame
Section Secretary/Treasurer: Joshua Doyle, Purdue University
Larry Au, The City College of New York, CUNY
Max Besbris, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ashley Harrell, Duke University
Paul Joosse, University of Hong Kong
Lauren Valentino, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hajar Yazdiha, University of Southern California
Xueqia Zhang, Emory University (Student Representative)
Visit the Section’s website here.