The ethical–political dimension of social and community praxis: The case of Ecuador's early response to COVID‐19

Abstract

In Ecuador, the painful impact of the covid-19 pandemic elicited early responses by the government, and by local communities. This critical, positioned and exploratory case study analyses such responses, underscoring the fundamental ethical-political dimension of any academic and professional praxis aimed at the construction of healthier societies worldwide. While critical traditions are familiar with this stance, the inequalities and ideological mechanisms made visible by covid-19 responses may enable the wider community of researchers and practitioners to join ongoing collective ethical-political efforts. Findings from Ecuador underline the potentially harmful role of neoliberalism, and issues of democratic legitimacy; significant problems before and during the pandemic shock; and official discourses which blame communities for their own suffering and death. Neutrality and depoliticized notions of scientific evidence are notoriously insufficient in these scenarios. We need to engage more deeply with diverse forms of global and local community resistance, in times of covid-19, and beyond. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement

Salud Mental Colectiva y Determinación Social: Posibilidades Paradigmáticas

“…Para ilustrar el análisis de nodos, me valdré arbitrariamente de conjeturas respecto al posible sufrimiento mental de profesionales sanitarios en el contexto del shock del covid-19 en Ecuador, al finalizar el primer trimestre del 2020. En absoluto constituye un análisis detallado del caso (Capella, 2022). Utilizo el contexto exclusivamente con fines ilustrativos para la presente exploración teórica (y por ser un contexto cercano al autor).…”

“…Asumiría que "las posibilidades de transformación social son fundamentales" (Arias y Hernández, 2020, p. 4). Aquello nos alejaría de ilusiones de neutralidad, evitando así ser vehículos ideológicos que favorezcan sufrimiento, enfermedad y muerte de comunidades históricamente excluidas (Breilh, 2021;Capella, 2022;Martín-Baró, 1984/1993. No hablaríamos de "factores de riesgo" despolitizados, ni nos limitaríamos a clasificaciones normativas sobre quién es sano o enfermo, funcional o disfuncional.…”

“…El construir un paradigma de salud mental colectiva viene siendo un proyecto relevante por décadas, y lo sigue siendo hoy en tiempos marcados por una reciente pandemia, donde el bienestar se ve moldeado por la inequidad estructural (Burgess, 2020;Capella, 2022;Marmot, 2020); una pandemia que estuvo también socialmente determinada (Breilh, 2021, p. 183). Si es cierto que hoy existe un relativo "vacío conceptual y epistemológico del campo de la salud psíquica, mental y emocional" (Pié et al, 2021, Introducción), la presente revisión exploratoria busca aportar constructivamente a la polifonía de voces que, desde diversas latitudes del planeta, insisten en repensar la forma en la que entendemos y tratamos los bienestares y malestares humanos.…”

The societal relevance of communities in theCOVID‐19 era

“…Capella (2022) presented a case study of early responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic provided by the government and by local communities in Ecuador. In so doing, Capella underscores the ethical‐political dimension of academic as well as professional praxis directed at promoting healthier societies.…”

“…This political discourse also allowed government politicians to abdicate their responsibilities for public health by shifting responsibility to citizens at the individual level. Capella (2022) presented a case study of early responses to the COVID-19 pandemic provided by the government and by local communities in Ecuador. In so doing, Capella underscores the ethical-political dimension of academic as well as professional praxis directed at promoting healthier societies.…”