Cultural and leisure practice transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The present work analyzes the changes in cultural and leisure practices during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of Russian and foreign social research results. The data on individual profound interviews with the post-Soviet youth presenters about their daily practices and adaptive strategies in the lockdown circumstances performed by the author are presented. It is noticed that the lockdown restrictions and self-isolation regime have opened new interesting opportunities in leisure and creative activities (quite often involving on-line technologies) for many residents in Russia and in the foreign countries that allowed them to improve their previous skills or learn something new. Part of the respondents have acquired online practices in their favorite leisure activities: educational, communication, creative etc., which they also would prefer to keep doing in their lives after the pandemic. The method specifically developed for the purposes of the author research is an undeniable novelty. The findings provide an opportunity to reflect on the personal and social resources that help adapt to the realities of the post-COVID world, give the answer to the question of whether young people’s experience of the new coronavirus everyday life can benefit older generations, and contribute to the development of the new sociological field — the sociology of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is observed that despite many negative consequences caused by the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic produced a recovery in public cultural and leisure life that may be regarded as a positive emergent effect. In general, we can see significant changes in cultural and leisure practices under the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The trend towards active cultural consumption is likely to continue with time.