Subjective theories on solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the desire for sanctioning “non-solidaric” behaviour

Solidarity was perceived to be of great importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the expected vaccination against COVID-19. Showing any hesitancy was often declared as a lack of solidarity. This paper focuses on three research questions: (1) How did laypeople perceive solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) How did they react to people hesitant to vaccination? (3) What consequences could that have had for health promotion and society? In order to understand subjective theories of laypeople on solidarity during the pandemic – and on vaccination against COVID-19 in particular, 1 858 bottom line comments on ten different internet articles were analysed. As a result, laypeople often shared the idea that vaccination was an act of solidarity. Focusing on those who were hesitant, they attributed this to a lack of cognitive and social competence. Furthermore, the expected consequences of vaccination hesitancy were described, which in turn justified a wide range of suggested sanctions. They included discrimination and exclusion, as well as a desire for personal damage. Finally, possible effects on society are discussed. Smatralo se da je solidarnost od velike važnosti tijekom pandemije COVID-19, uključujući očekivano cijepljenje protiv COVID-19. Pokazivanje neodlučnosti često se proglašavalo nedostatkom solidarnosti. Ovaj se rad usredotočuje na tri istraživačka pitanja: (1) Kako su laici doživljavali solidarnost tijekom pandemije COVID-19? (2) Kako su reagirali na ljude koji su oklijevali oko cijepljenja? (3) Koje bi to posljedice moglo donijeti za promicanje zdravlja i društva? Kako bismo razumjeli subjektivne teorije laika o solidarnosti tijekom pandemije – a posebno o cijepljenju protiv COVID-19, analizirano je 1858 krajnjih komentara na deset različitih internetskih članaka. Kao rezultat toga, laici su često dijelili ideju da je cijepljenje čin solidarnosti. Fokusirajući se na one koji oklijevaju, pripisali su to nedostatku kognitivnih i socijalnih kompetencija. Nadalje su opisane očekivane posljedice oklijevanja od cijepljenja, što je zauzvrat opravdalo širok raspon predloženih sankcija. One uključuju diskriminaciju i isključivanje, kao i želju za osobnom štetom. Na kraju se raspravlja o mogućim učincima na društvo.