Interdependent solidarity : a comparative case study of participatory communities in southwest Mexico

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:44:34 +0000

Interdependent solidarity : a comparative case study of participatory communities in southwest Mexico Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 08:44

By: Tania Massicotte

Abstract:

In a collective, the unconstrained will of the rational individual may seek to maximize self-interested ventures at the group's expense, making collective governance an unsustainable option. This dilemma refers to the free rider problem, which may be solved in some ways, including by the state or through a market-based control system of monitoring and sanctioning. Two significant issues arise from this vision: 1) both the state and agents controlling private property-based institutions, unchecked by higher constraints, will also seek to maximize self-interest at the cost of the collective, and 2) individuals are constitutive of collectives and collectives are constitutive of individuals, dynamically informing interests, preferences and decisions. I argue that interdependent solidarity, an underappreciated relational factor, can act as a social "control" mechanism in a participatory community, ensuring sustainability. Using descriptive cases of participatory communities of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán/Guerrero, all subnational units within Southwest Mexico, this essay aims to demonstrate the existence of mechanisms fostering perceived and acknowledged interdependence supervening over individualistic market logics.

Off

Traditional

White