Nourishing social solidarity in exchanging gifts: a study on social exchange in Shanghai communities during COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract During the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, we found many social exchanges within communities. In this study, we focus on exploring the driving forces behind social exchanges and their impacts on the social solidarity of local communities. Twenty-eight residents of separate communities are interviewed, and grounded theory is applied to have the motivation for social exchanges coded and analyzed. We find that reciprocal and generalized exchanges, rather than negotiated exchanges, occur in most communities. Among these exchanges, the willingness to share is stimulated by the traditional cultural norms taking place in online social groups. Residents will be propelled to carry on exchanges through sentiments cultivated within and to develop the micro social order through interactions in the media space. Social exchanges bring social solidarity to communities and develop it into a noticeable form consisting of functional, emotional, and communal aspects.