Solidarity in times of crisis - Socio-economic change and political orientations in Austria and Hungary

The recent economic crisis has severely affected the living and working conditions of citizens all over Europe, leading to high levels of insecurity and declining trust in public institutions. The project aims at investigating the impact of the intensified socio-economic change following the recent economic crisis on political orientations. How did working and living conditions changed after the crisis? How do individuals perceive changes in society in recent years? How do those changes affect individual perceptions, social cohesion and political orientations?

The project will focus on the symbolic struggles between different formations of solidarity. It is assumed that solidarity, social cohesion and the question who should be supported are dynamic configurations with a continuous struggle over the boundaries of the solidarity community.

The project will focus on Austria and Hungary which provide the unique opportunity to investigate two countries with similar political developments, yet affected by the crisis very differently. Using methodological triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data SOCRIS will provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between societal change and political subjectivity.