| dc.description.abstract | Universities are subject to many, often conflicting demands. When it comes to the type of education students should receive at universities, both economic, labour-marked oriented, and idealistic, formation-oriented demands are placed upon the institutions. One of these idealistic goals is to educate students for solidarity, as part of an effort to educate responsible, engaged citizens. This qualitative study explores how bachelor and master students at the University of Oslo understand the term solidarity, and how they describe the connection between attending a higher education institution and their development of solidarity. To answer the research questions focus group interviews were held and analysed using abductive reasoning and concepts based on a normative, critical theory of solidarity. The analysis reveals that students have a complex perception of solidarity, which is largely based on interaction in communities. While they think that solidarity is an essential value in democracies, they find many structures at the University of Oslo disparaging to its development. Students see a strong connection between solidarity and their disciplinary identity, but a much weaker one to their identities as students. | eng |