Evolving Crisis Responses (Asynchronous Session)
Global Pandemics and the Biopolitical Regimes of the State View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pat Mahoney
In recent years the process of globalization has experienced contestation and breakdown, with COVID-19 exacerbating the fracturing of international coordination and response to the pandemic. Nations have been left to their own strategic devices when assembling and implementing coronavirus policies at the national level. Utilizing the work of French social philosopher Michael Foucault on biopower, governmentality, and neoliberalism, this paper maps and compares the response by nation states to the threat of COVID-19. It argues that the state-driven approaches to the virus articulate around three themes. First, an orchestrated strategy that highlights the importance of social cohesion, where State-messaging and the institutions within civil society are deployed to promote self-discipline, while fostering the cultural massage “we’re all in this together”. Second, a State-centered hegemonic model that promotes socially restricted and repressive governmental action designed to reinforce preexisting social inequalities, regulate bodies through the management of populations, and quell descent. Finally, the third path is oriented toward a market logic that enhances State legitimacy. This approach supplants concerns for the medical implications of the virus’s spread by promoting a program of aggressive economic activity and capital accumulation. This critical comparative approach foretells of a new post-pandemic globalism, one spearheaded by protests surrounding racial injustice. These progressive voices represent a confluence of issues in their critique of State actions taken to combat COVID-19. The civil unrest associated with these movements highlights the tension within States as carceral arbiters of conduct and promoters of the social inequities imposed through market capitalism.
Structural Impediments to Sustainable Development in Australia and Its Asia-Pacific Region View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ahmed Badreldin
In its efforts to administer a collective global response towards combating climate change and limiting global warming, the United Nations, at its 2015 Climate Change Conference, succeeded in committing member nations to the Paris Agreement. Through the Agreement, the United Nations exemplified its dedication to supporting sustainable development. Accordingly, the primary objective of this paper is to investigate structural impediments that prevent Australia and the Asia-Pacific region from achieving their Paris Agreement targets and consolidating sustainable development. While neoliberal globalisation has nurtured ecological damage and widespread poverty and wealth inequality in a systematic manner, this paper argues that the accumulation and persistence of these structural deficiencies portend severe implications against the attainment of sustainability targets. The paper introduces an assessment approach suggesting the stage of economic development, the extent of social equity and the political orientation of each country to distinguish its vulnerability and exposure to these structural impediments. It further addresses difficulties that governments, businesses and civil societies face with a focus on solving them. Lastly, it anticipates a paradigm shift away from the GDP growth-based, fossil fuel-driven industrial type of economic development towards a more inclusive and equitable model comprising eco-efficient low-carbon enterprises and economies. The paper concludes that only the equitable, more inclusive, and democratic developmental regimes are capable of consolidating sustainable development.
Violence and Crime at the Time of Global Pandemic: What is the Situation Now and What Should We Expect in the Future? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anastasiia Timmer
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global societal and public health problem that influences every part of society. Most recently, researchers pointed to the potentially detrimental effects of the pandemic on crime and violence around the world. Yet we know very little about how COVID-19 experiences such as fear of contagion or isolation shape different types of violent and criminal behavior. Drawing from perspectives in criminology, medical sociology, social psychology, and neuroscience, I conceptualize and explore how the pandemic-related experiences can lead to violence, property crime and cybercrime in various social contexts. I further provide recommendations for policy and practice focused on preventing criminality in the time of global pandemics.
International Organizations and COVID-19 Passports: A Framework of Analysis of the Decision-making Model View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Madalin Blidaru
The instrument of COVID-19 passport was discussed and promoted by several international organizations. Despite of a common standard up to date, the idea gained momentum not only bilaterally between states, but also in multilateral organisations, without distinctions of their intergovernmental or supranational character. The aim of this paper is to systemize models of decision-making on vaccine passport by international organisations. The proposed framework looks into leading actors, consultation processes and the decision-making model, as well as the interim outputs of these processes. The framework is applied on three case studies: the World Health Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the European Union. The paper provides insights into how international organisations are engaged in the COVID-19 biopolitics. Not only that the organisations can be leveraged by states for bio-coercive aims, but developing these tools is not anymore only an attribute of sovereign states. However, different decision-making strategies were used.
Risks, Trust, and Emotions : The Complexity of Citizens' Involvement in Biorisk Management View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Swen Seebach, Ana Beriain Banares
The risk of pandemics such as COVID19 need strong involvement of citizens in pandemic management practices (Beck,1992; Giddens 199; Virilio & Richard 2012). An over-intensified sensation of risk is as problematic as a wrong sensation of trust. We will focus on risk and trust as challenges to the management of spreading a highly infectious diseases. Trust is problematic for its delegation of responsibility, risk for a potential over- stimulation. On the basis of data gathered via interviews, field observation and field notes taken during the Covid19 pandemic, this paper analyzes how personal trust has led to an inadequate handling of security measures and how (e.g. trust in family members and friends has played an important role in spreading COVID19).
