The imaginative failure of normal: Considerations for a post-pandemic future.

Sandra M Leotti

doi:10.1177/1473325020973338

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck a forceful blow to an already faltering economic and political system. Decades of neoliberal capitalism have left us with extreme domestic and global inequality, a climate disaster, and the death of democracy. Now, in the midst of a global pandemic, any solace found in the toxic status quo has all but vanished. We are faced with an event of major historical significance, the effects of which are sure to be vast and enduring. As we emerge from this crisis and rebuild, we have a tremendous opportunity to (re)consider and (re)formulate the kind of world we want to live in. This essay reflects on the limitations of an uncritical desire for a return to “normalcy.” Further, it asks social workers to engage in a process of imaginative and speculative thinking to envision possibilities for our inevitably changed world.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck a forceful blow to an already faltering economic and political system
I write this essay from the vantage point of being a fully employed, childfree, tenure track professor in a small rural town in the western United States
The fear and uncertainty can be crippling. This is a crisis to be sure, but what if it’s more than that? What if it is an opportunity? Global catastrophes create the conditions for breaking with the past and building the world anew

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck a forceful blow to an already faltering economic and political system. As many of us have been forced to slow down and find new ways to move through the world, I suggest that rather than rushing to resume our lives as if this crisis never happened, we take the time to examine the world that was compared to the one that now is, and use this as an opportunity to imagine a world that could be.

Results

Conclusion