KTub8

Culture of Solidarity
established institutions that are ever further plunged
into an extended crisis of legitimation.
Digital networks are an essential element in the
contemporary reconstitution of autonomy and solidarity,
even as their empirical presence and importance varies
from case to case. Hence, it is no coincidence that
many of the values that have been embedded in digital
technologies are prominent in this new culture and
this contributes to a revival of autonomist approaches.
The relationship between network technology and
autonomist movements is a complex one. Many of the
(North American) pioneers of these technologies were
deeply influenced by the decidedly non-technological
experiences of the 1960s counter culture and developed
technological systems as a way to advance these
values. 71 Today, the practice of digital networking is
a core element in their reconfiguration. The result, of
course, is not a virtual culture but a hybrid one, where
the experience of digital communication is carried into
all kinds of social institutions and practices, up to and
including the reorganisation of physical space. All of this
is driven by the ever changing desires of social actors.
The autonomous culture of solidarity is characterised
by core values that exist across diverse settings – even
if the articulated agendas can be antagonistic. Manuel
Castells summarised these values as ‘trust, tolerance
and togetherness’. 72 It might be useful to unpack them
somewhat further as sharing, co-operation, individuality,
participation and diversity. Let’s start with the last one.
In networks, diversity is being articulated both on a
micro- and on a marco-level. On a micro-level it concerns
the identity of the singular person. The practice of
networking allows each person to be present in different
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