Significance of Culture in Shaping Societal Responses to Pandemic Assault

Gautam Kr Ghosh

doi:10.19080/arr.2021.06.555696

Abstract

Across the continents 209 pandemic affected countries reportedly adopted standard preventive protocol for COVID-19, but the pandemic spread and onslaught showed different patterns in different countries. This human habit of maintaining or not maintaining physical distance is a result of a country’s culture which is rooted in its national heritage and traditions and the current pandemic scenario provides an opportunity to study the flexibility and adaptability of cultures between pandemic responses, on a governmental and societal level. In this study culture was defined using Hofstede's dimensions Individualism/Collectivism. An exploratory case-study methodology was taken after employing a post- positivist approach. The study findings indicated collectivism encourages faster and more effective COVID-19 responses and hence suggest cultural adjustments for the purpose of infectious disease preventive intervention.

Highlights

Influencing the general public response to pandemics is a public health priority
The preventive behaviours that are effective in reducing the spread of pandemic found insufficiently followed across different regions, even during pandemic influenza, 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic, among others
Societal individualism/ collectivism is one idea that could be useful as a guiding principle in this scenario; and the topic subsequently discussed with suitable references

Summary

Introduction

Influencing the general public response to pandemics is a public health priority. The preventive behaviours (e.g. wearing masks and reducing aggregation) that are effective in reducing the spread of pandemic found insufficiently followed across different regions, even during pandemic influenza, 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic, among others. Social scientists suggest that the cultural difference of collectivism versus individualism could largely explain this divergence. The Parasite Stress Theory of Values [3,4,5] implies that the historical occurrence of infectious diseases may have played a role in the development of Individualist and Collectivist cultural differences.

Results

Conclusion