logo
ResearchBunny Logo
Socially-distanced science: how British publics were imagined, modelled and marginalised in political and expert responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Sociology

Socially-distanced science: how British publics were imagined, modelled and marginalised in political and expert responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

R. Ballo, W. Pearce, et al.

Explore the contrasting narratives of the UK's high COVID-19 death rate, revealing the imagined 'freedom-loving' public and the wartime spirit of solidarity. This insightful research by Rokia Ballo, Warren Pearce, Jack Stilgoe, and James Wilsdon delves into the social inequalities that shaped scientific advice and policy during the pandemic.

00:00
00:00
Playback language: English
Abstract
The UK's high COVID-19 death rate in early 2021 contrasted with its prior ranking as a pandemic-prepared nation. This paper examines the imagined publics within the UK's scientific advice system, revealing two co-constructed narratives: a 'freedom-loving' public resisting stringent interventions and a wartime-echoing 'all in it together' public. The analysis charts the tensions between these imagined publics and the exacerbated pre-existing social inequalities, highlighting how these imaginaries influenced scientific advice and policy decisions.
Publisher
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Published On
Jul 29, 2024
Authors
Rokia Ballo, Warren Pearce, Jack Stilgoe, James Wilsdon
Tags
COVID-19
public narratives
scientific advice
social inequalities
policy decisions
UK pandemic response

Related Publications

Explore these studies to deepen your understanding of the subject.

How epidemic psychology works on Twitter: evolution of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
Psychology

How epidemic psychology works on Twitter: evolution of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

L. M. Aiello, D. Quercia, et al.

Diet and lifestyle behaviour disruption related to the pandemic was varied and bidirectional among US and UK adults participating in the ZOE COVID Study
Health and Fitness

Diet and lifestyle behaviour disruption related to the pandemic was varied and bidirectional among US and UK adults participating in the ZOE COVID Study

M. Mazidi, E. R. Leeming, et al.

Divergent Emotional Responses and Social Connections in China and the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Psychology

Divergent Emotional Responses and Social Connections in China and the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

L. Lu, J. Xu, et al.

Seeds and the city: a review of municipal home food gardening programs in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Social Work

Seeds and the city: a review of municipal home food gardening programs in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

J. Music, L. Mullins, et al.

Listen, Learn & Level Up
Over 10,000 hours of research content in 25+ fields, available in 12+ languages.
No more digging through PDFs, just hit play and absorb the world's latest research in your language, on your time.
listen to research audio papers with researchbunny