Blogpost#2
Overview of Issue
Covid-19 changed our lives. I am not talking here simply about changing the routine on these days of isolation when we can no longer take walks or go to our favorite bars and restaurants. Yes, it all changed our daily lives. However, it is important to note the most profound changes, those transformations that should shape the reality around us and, of course, long-lasting changes after the new coronavirus is gone.
The transformations are countless and include politics, economics, business models, social relations, culture, social psychology, and the relationship with the city and public space, among other things.
The public health crisis is defined by some researchers as a reset, a kind of watershed capable of causing profound changes in people's behavior. "A crisis like this can change values," says Pete Lunn, head of the behavioral research unit at Trinity College Dublin, in an interview with Newsday.
The financial crisis resulting from the pandemic alone will be a reason for people to save more and review their consumption habits. As the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies says, the idea of "less is more" will guide consumers going forward. But the lack of money at the moment will not be the only reason. People should review their relationship with consumption, reinforcing a movement that was already happening. The flip side of this process is a greater questioning of the capitalism model based purely and simply on maximizing profits for shareholders. Today, it is necessary to think about the value given to people, the environmental impact, the generation of a positive impact on society, or the engagement with a cause. It is necessary to look definitively with confidence for employees since the home office is no longer an alternative but a necessity.
The changes in values along with the financial crisis has also affected partisanship. The way people see the world has changed.
Political Theory
In the article “Political Partisanship as a Social Identity”, from Leonie Huddy and Alexa Bankert, the authors analyze the influence of partisanship on developing democracies. The article talks about how motivational and cognitive components of social identity theory can lead to political identification. The effects of partisanship are heavily debated and how it influences engagement on politics. The influence of partisanship explains many political behaviors, however, it is still debatable up to what point partisanship explains actions.
The article “One Tribe to Bind Them All: How Our Social Group Attachments Strengthen Partisanship”, from Lilliana Mason and Julie Wronski, the authors point is that the circumstances and the life we live have a great influence on our political party identification. Racial, religious, and ideological identities are heavily discussed and these 3 variables seem to have a great influence on how people think of politics. The psychological effects of identity alignment are also an important point that deserves attention since they seem to influence political decisions. The question now is, how will our current circumstances influence people’s partisanship identification. It is a fact that the pandemic has made us rethink our opinions on many aspects of life.
So What?
The outcome isn’t obvious. It isn’t obvious especially because this experience has given us insights into different aspects of life. For some, living our religion isn’t the same. Cultural and religious traditions may have changed due to current circumstances. Our social identification may have changed since many are forced to be with people that they haven’t been before, and places many have not been in years. People are opening their eyes to new possibilities and horizons. As we think outside the box, we may realize that the other point of view isn’t completely unacceptable. For an economically conservative person, for example, he or she may realize that there are circumstances in which a trade-off between efficiency and equity is necessary. The current financial crisis has been an example of that.
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