Debunking 'the great equaliser' discourse

minority perspectives from Bulgaria and Kosovo during the first shockwave of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

During the first shockwave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk of infection was inaccurately touted as "the great equaliser". However, the virus' rapid spread and the state of emergency accelerated the magnitude of pre-existing inequalities by taking a heavy toll on already marginalised, exploited and extremely poor segments of societies. Focussing on sub-national contexts in Bulgaria and Kosovo, this article demonstrates how Bulgarian Roma and Kosovo Serbs were not only hit the hardest by the introduction of ad hoc lockdowns and curfews, respectively, but also how disciplinary mechanisms of control and surveillance were embedded in public methods and cultural policies of scapegoating and ascribing images of societal irresponsibility and backwardness upon these two minority groups.

Keywords

Covid-19;Epidemije;Manjšine;Družbena neenakost;Stigmatizacija;Bolgarija;Kosovo;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2021
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
UDC:	323.15(497.2:497.115):616-036.22
COBISS:	81126659
ISSN:	0040-3598
Views:	45
Downloads:	9
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary title:	Razkrinkanje diskurza o velikem izenačevalcu
Secondary abstract:	Med prvim valom pandemije Covid-19 je bilo tveganje okužbe napačno predstavljano kot "veliki izenačevalec". Vendar sta hitro širjenje virusa in izredno stanje povečala visoko stopnjo že obstoječih neenakosti, saj so najvišjo ceno plačali tisti segmenti družb, ki so bili že prej na obrobju, izkoriščani in skrajno revni. V članku se osredotočimo na podnacionalna konteksta v Bolgariji in na Kosovu in prikažemo, kako sta bolgarske Rome in kosovske Srbe ne le najtežje prizadeli vpeljava ad hoc splošnih karanten v prvem primeru in policijskih ur v drugem, temveč tudi, kako so tema manjšinskima skupnostma pripisovali podobe družbene neodgovornosti in zaostalosti z disciplinskimi mehanizmi nadzorovanja in opazovanja, umeščenimi v javne metode in kulturne politike iskanja grešnih kozlov.
Secondary keywords:	Epidemics;Minorities;Social inequality;Stigmatization;Bulgaria;Kosovo;
Type (COBISS):	Article
Pages:	str. 616-631, 692
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ58
Issue:	posebna št.
Chronology:	sep. 2021
DOI:	10.51936/tip.58.specialissue.616-631
ID:	16137655