Contrarily from other countries such as Italy and Spain where balcony flashmobs emerged spontaneously without government backing, in the UK the #clapforcarers campaign has more the semblance of an astroturf campaign. Boris Johnson is under heavy criticism for the confused way in which this emergency has been addressed, and for the U-turn in positions the government has made, starting with a by now notorious “herd immunity” strategy only to end in recent days with an Italian-style lockdown. Therefore, he desperately needs some demonstration of collective solidarity in the face of this emergency, in order to refocus people’s attention, hoping to see the boost in ratings experienced by other governments around Europe in response to a dire health and social emergency.
But regardless of the political manouvering behind collective coronavirus flashmobs, what these public rituals put in stark relief is the desperate yearning of the population for some sense of solidarity amidst the crisis. The continuous barrage of tragic news about the spread of the epidemic, the direct experience of relatives and friends dying now affecting many people, the fear for one’s own health that is particularly alarming for older and immune-depressed people, together with the experience of prolonged isolation and social distancing facing people, pose major psychological challenges. By participating in public rituals such as singing with one’s neighbours, engaging in public gym sessions or bingo from their windows and balconies as seen in Italy and Spain, citizens are trying to recuperate some sense of normality amidst the present experience of emergency.
Some speculate that one of the silver linings of this crisis may in the long term be more social cohesion. As people become more aware that we all depend for their safety on the state and its health system, besides becoming better acquainted with their neighbours, they will come to realise that contra Margaret Thatcher there is such a thing as society. This revival of a collective spirit resembles that experienced after previous catastrophes, starting from the Second World War.
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Paolo Gerbaudo | Radio Free (2020-03-27T07:52:26+00:00) #Clapforcarers: why grassroots solidarity against Coronavirus matters. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2020/03/27/clapforcarers-why-grassroots-solidarity-against-coronavirus-matters/
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