SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN SLOVAKIA: WHAT MOTIVATES THOSE WHO HELP?

The aim of the study was to explore the motivations of solidarity with Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia. In particular, it aimed to examine the motivations of people who had engaged in helping immigrants and refugees in the past as well as those who started only after the invasion of Ukraine. The first theme was based on the events the participants described as triggers or significant moments that had elicited their need to support refugees. These moments were often accompanied by moral shock, leading to solidarity based actions. The second theme presented a broader perspective on helping a disadvantaged group. This was based on participants’ constructions of their social identity that contributes to the level of inclusiveness of the moral circle. The extent to which different disadvantaged groups are morally excluded or included also shapes which experiences or events trigger moral shock, and lead to selective solidarity on behalf of Ukrainian refugees vs. refugees from other countries. As well as providing a basis for further research, the findings also invite us to reflect on how public discourse can shape the level of inclusiveness of the moral circle in society and subsequently facilitate or hinder solidarity-based collective action.