Gemeinsame Bedürfnisse im Prekariat: Zur Rekonstruktion einer fragmentierten sozialen Kategorie

This article examines the conceptual and socio-political contours of the contemporary precariat by proposing the category of »common needs« as a unifying analytical lens. Against the backdrop of global precarization and the erosion of welfare structures, the precariat emerges as a heterogeneous and fragmented social formation marked by instability, insecurity, and a pervasive condition of loneliness produced by economic, political, and institutional mechanisms. The article argues that, despite the diversity of experiences within the precariat, shared vulnerabilities reveal collective needs - interdependence, trust, a common narrative, and basic security among others - that can serve as foundations for a group consciousness. Building on theoretical insights from Hardt and Negri, Butler, Sennett, Standing, and others, the article reconstructs how these needs illuminate the structural nature of precarious life and challenge dominant neoliberal narratives that individualize responsibility and obscure systemic injustice. By foregrounding the »needs of the we,« it suggests a conceptual framework capable of strengthening political agency and providing a basis for collective claims-making within and beyond the precariat.