Coronavirus, Class and Mutual Aid in the United Kingdom

Abstract

translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

A sociology of Covid-19

“…There will doubtless be opportunities for some to profit from this dystopian scenario, as ‘disaster capitalists’ (Klein, 2007) open up new markets and develop new commodities in the domains of preparedness, protection, policing and care (Preston and Firth, forthcoming). Authorities may also seek to centralise and consolidate their power during the emergency.…”

Theorizing disaster communitas

“… 13 See also: Matthewman ( 2015 , p.166), Preston and Firth ( 2020 ), Roasa ( 2013 ), and Monbiot’s quote in footnote for further examples. …”

‘Let communities do their work’: the role of mutual aid and self‐help groups in the Covid‐19 pandemic response

“…The explicit political framing of mutual aid in much of the literature on the subject, including Preston and Firth ( 2020 ), Sitrin and Colectiva Sembrar ( 2020 ), and Solnit ( 2020 ), invites reflections, relevant to the research presented in this paper, on the extent to which one may understand spontaneous mutual aid efforts as expressions of particular ideologies or religions. Alternatively, it encourages one to remain open also to understanding many such responses by individuals and groups in a crisis as a characteristic, which tends to criss‐cross the globe and arguably transcends borders and differences framed in terms of ethnicity, ideology, class, culture, and religion.…”

“…While many of these efforts were clearly rooted in faith communities or groups with, for instance, specific shared political ideals or community agendas, other activities appear to have grown as much out of a mixture of moral sense of responsibility to help, coinciding with opportunities (such as access and material or mental resources to share), and the personal connections needed to act. Given the diversity, scale, and frequently ephemeral nature of spontaneous mutual aid across continents, it is not possible, on the basis of our research, to determine whether one or the other motivation dominated mutual aid efforts in the early stages of the pandemic, as argued by some authors (Preston and Firth, 2020 ; Solnit, 2020 ). Still, a strong individual and communal sense of ‘responsibility to act', together with the opportunity to do so, seems to inform all such mutual aid efforts, be they motivated by or presented as answering a faith calling, political activism, solidarity, or simply a strong feeling of ‘shared humanity'.…”