Performing publics of science in the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Austria, Bolivia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Portugal.

Research about science and publics in the COVID-19 pandemic often focuses on public trust and on identifying and correcting public attitudes. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 209 residents in six countries-Austria, Bolivia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Portugal-this article uses the concept of performativity to explore how participants understand, and relate to science, in the COVID-19 context. By performativity, we mean the ways by which participants understand themselves as particular sorts of publics through identification with, and differentiation from, various other actors in matters that are perceived as controversies surrounding science: COVID-19 vaccination, media communication of science, and the interactions between governments and scientists. The criteria used to construct the similarities and differences among publics were heterogeneous and fluid, showing how epistemic beliefs about the nature of, and trust in, scientific knowledge are intermingled with social and cultural memberships embedded in specific contexts and across disparate places.

Em torno da pandemia: factos, perceções e conjeturas / About the pandemic: facts, perceptions, and conjectures / Sobre la pandemia: hechos, percepciones y conjeturas / Autour de la pandémie: faits, perceptions et conjectures

A pandemia da covid interpelou diretamente as nossas sociedades de múltiplas formas, desde aspetos atinentes à confiança social na ciência até à possível hiperpolitização dela, passando pelas prioridades assignadas ao funcionamento dos sistemas económicos e às formas da sua regulação. Sendo o nosso ambiente cultural marcado por evidentes traços de sinofobia, a experiência civilizacional de longo prazo da China é confrontada com a das sociedades ocidentais. As frequentes reclamações de maior intervenção económica estatal e de cooperação social entrecruzam-se com diversos outros problemas, designadamente as desigualdades sociais. O caso sueco foi também objeto de consideração, ficando expressa uma visão cética quanto ao seu valor enquanto modelo médico. São, enfim, destacadas várias complexidades e incertezas da situação presente.

The covid pandemic has directly tested our societies in multiple ways, ranging from aspects regarding social trust in science to its possible over-politicization, through the priorities assigned to the functioning of economic systems and their regulation. Given that our cultural environment is marked by obvious traits of Sinophobia, China's long-term civilizational experience is confronted with that of Western societies. Nowadays frequent claims of bigger state economic intervention and increased social cooperation intersect with various other problems, namely social inequalities. The Swedish case was also the subject of consideration, with a skeptical view being expressed regarding its worth as a medical model. Finally, several complexities and uncertainties of the present situation are highlighted.

La pandemia de la covid afectó a nuestras sociedades de diversas formas, desde aspectos relativos a la confianza social en la ciencia hasta la posible super-politización de la misma, pasando por las prioridades del funcionamiento de los sistemas económicos y sus formas de regulación. Tomando en cuenta los evidentes rasgos de sinofobia en nuestro ambiente cultural, la experiencia civilizadora a largo plazo de China se confronta con la de las sociedades occidentales. Las frecuentes quejas de una mayor intervención económica estatal y de cooperación social se cruzan con diversos otros problemas, especialmente las desigualdades sociales. El caso sueco fue también objeto de consideración, revelando una visión escéptica en relación a su valor como modelo médico. Se destacan varias complejidades y dudas de la presente situación.

La pandémie du covid a interpellé directement nos sociétés de façons multiples, dès les aspects touchant la confiance sociale dans la science, jusqu'à sa possible hyperpolitisation, tout en passant par les priorités assignées au fonctionnement des systèmes économiques et aux formes de sa régulation. Comme notre environnement culturel est marqué par des traits de sinophobie évidents, l'expérience civilisationnelle de longue durée de la Chine est confrontée à celle des sociétés occidentales. Les fréquentes demandes d'une plus grande intervention économiques de la part de l'Etat et d'une coopération sociale, aussi bien que d'autres problèmes divers s'entrecroisent. Le cas suédois a été lui aussi objet d'une analyse, et il en reste un point de vue sceptique concernant sa valeur en tant que modèle médical. Enfin, on met en évidence plusieurs incertitudes et complexités de la situation actuelle.