Social Solidarity & Philanthropy in African Contexts

Authors

Dennis Kilama, Indiana University Lilly Family School of PhilanthropyFollow
Patricia Snell Herzog, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
David P. King, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

Abstract

Within Western contexts, philanthropy has been conceptualized as formal and organizational, with less emphasis on its informal contours. This paper identifies social solidarity as crucial to understanding philanthropy in African contexts. The first section explores concepts of philanthropy, such as reciprocity and cooperation. Second, recognizing solidarity as a key aspect of philanthropy, we review how social solidarity has been theorized and studied. Third, we illustrate how philanthropy in Kenya and Uganda is embedded within specific contexts. Philanthropy can be found in horizontal (formal), vertical (informal), and hybrid forms. Alongside formal philanthropy, efforts to benefit others in Africa often emerge informally as mutual aid and collective mobilization. Through attending to African contexts, we assert that a broader focus on social solidarity can broaden the who, how, and why of philanthropy.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Kilama, Dennis; Snell Herzog, Patricia; and King, David P. (2025) "Social Solidarity & Philanthropy in African Contexts," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, 110-123.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1334
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol9/iss1/20