Social fears in the COVID-19 emergency in Romania
Keywords:
fear, social fear, pyramid of social fears, fear appeal, COVID-19 pandemicAbstract
This article defines the concept of “social fear” and proposes a “Pyramid of social fears” in the state of emergency in Romania. The article aims mainly to highlight the triggers of fear during the pandemic, with reference to the period March 16 – May 14, 2020, and how the call to fear worked in the change of attitude. Fear is analyzed psychologically and sociologically. It discusses the characteristics of social fear and shows the functions of this type of fear, understudied both in Romania and abroad. The article presents the results of opinion polls on the fear caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the call to fear in persuasive communication in order to comply with the recommendations and restrictions established. I suggest, from a psychosociological perspective, some ways to increase the effectiveness of messages to inform the population about the consequences of the pandemic and about measures to reduce the risk of infection with the new coronavirus.
References
AMSELLE, J.-L., Bio-pouvoir ou thanatocratie?, Nouvelobs., 8.04, 2020 (https://www.nouvelobs.com/ idees/20200408.OBS27254/jean-loup-amselle-bio-pouvoir-ou-thanatocratie.html).
ANDRÉ, C., Psihologia fricii. Temeri, angoase și fobii, București, Editura Meteor Publishing, 2019.
BLUMER, H., Collective behavior, în PARK, R. E. (Ed.), An Outline of the Principles of Sociology, New York, Barnes and Noble, 1937, p. 297–341.
BORY, A., La guérison, un fait social, Le Monde, No 23451, 2020. p. 23.
BRAUD, P., Mic tratat de emoţii, sentimente şi pasiuni politice, Iaşi, Editura Polirom, 2008.
CAILLOIS, R., Les masques de la peur chez les insects, Problèmes, avril-mai, 1961, p. 25.
CHELCEA, S., Fricile sociale în România, în CHELCEA S. (Ed.), Fricile sociale ale românilor, București, Editura Tritonic, 2015, p. 13–37.
CHELCEA, S., Emoțiile sociale. Despre rușine, vinovăție, regret și dezamăgire, București, Editura Tritonic, 2020.
CONOR S., Respondents who fear being infected by the COVID-19 virus in Great Britain 2020 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101620/fear-of-contracting-coronavirus-in-great-britain/).
COVEN, J., & GUPTAY, A., Disparities in mobility responses to COVID-19, The New York Times, 16 aprilie 2020.
DARWIN, C., Expresia emoţiilor la om şi animale, Bucureşti, Editura Academiei RPR, 1967.
DELPIERRE, G., La Peu et l’être, Paris, Privat, 1973.
DELUMEAU, J., Frica în Occident (secolele XIV–XVIII). O cetate asediată (vol. 1), Bucureşti, Editura Meridiane, 1986. 14. EY, H., BERNARD, P., & BRISSET, C., Manuel de Psychiatrie, Paris, Masson, 1960.
FOUCAULT, M., Il faut défendre la société, Cours au Collège de France (1975–1976), Paris, Le Foucault Électronique, 1976, 2001.
GOLEMAN, D., Inteligența socială, București, Editura Curtea Veche, 2007.
IPSOS, Coronavirus dominates global worries, 2020 (https://www.ipsos.com/en/coronavirus-dominates-global-worries). 18. IRES, Bilanțul stării de urgență. Impactul COVID-19 asupra vieții românilor. Sondaj de opinie, 2020.
KLEIN, N., Doctrina şocului: naşterea capitalismului dezastrelor, Bucureşti, Editura Vellant, 2008.
LELORD, F., & ANDRÉ, C., Cum să ne exprimăm emoţiile şi sentimentele, Bucureşti, Editura Trei, 2003, p. 231–270.
MARAIS, H., A plague of inequality, Mail et Guardian, 19 mai, 2006.
MASLOW, A. H., Motivaţie şi personalitate (ediţia a III-a), Bucureşti, Editura Trei, 2007.
MONTAIGNE, M. de., Eseuri, Bucureşti, Editura Minerva, 1984.
MORROW, A., When Your Fears About Dying Are Unhealthy, Verywell mind, November, 28, 2019. (https://www.verywellmind.com/scared-to-death-of-death-1132501).
ÖHMAN, A., Fear and anxiety: Overlaps and dissociations, în LEWIS, M, HAVILAND-JONES, J. M., & BARRETT, L. F. (Eds.), Handbook of emotions, New York, The Guilford Press, 2008, p. 709–728.
PAPALIA, D. E., OLDS, S. W., Psychology, New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1985.
PARKINSON, B., FISCHER, A. H., & MANSTEAD, A. S. R., Emotion in Social Relations. Cultural, Group, and Interpersonal Processes, New York, Hove, 2005, p. 709–728.
RIEZLER, K., The social psychology of fear, The American Journal of Sociology, 49, 6, 1944, p. 489–498.
SARTRE, J.-P., La Surisis, Paris, Gallimard, 1945.
SARTRE, J.-P., Psihologia emoţiei, Bucureşti, Editura Trei, 1997.
SENECA, L. A., Scrisori către Luciliu, Bucureşti, Ediura Ştiinţifică, 1967.
STOICIU, G., Boala și moartea în prim plan, România Socială, 15 iunie, 2020 (https://www.romaniasociala.ro/boala-si-moartea-in-prim-plan/).
TANNENBAUM, M. B. et al., Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories, Psychological Bulletin, 141, 6, 2015, p. 1178–1204.
WEBER, M., Politica, o vocaţie şi o profesie, Bucureşti, Editura Anima, 1992.
WILLIAMS, K. C., Fear Appeal Theory, International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 5, 1, 2012, p. 63–82.
