Social Distancing in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Visual Representations of the Term

Ewa Głażewska

Abstract


The concept of “social distancing” gained particular currency during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming one of the keys and also widely used terms. The article focuses on the category of social distancing as a new determinant of spatial relations and explains its origins and roots in proxemics studies. Attention was also focused on contemporary visual representations of this concept, including those with humorous messages. The analysis of graphic materials referring to social distancing indicates that their aim is to encourage the recipients to maintain a safe distance, but at the same time to “warm up” the meaning of the term, which after all evokes negative associations of separation. About 200 covid masks referring to the category of social distancing and its other visual representations drawn from the Internet were analyzed.


Keywords


social distancing; proxemics studies; visual representations; COVID-19 pandemic

Full Text:

PDF (Język Polski)

References


Campbell, H.A., Sheldon, Z. (2021). Religious Responses to Social Distancing Revealed through Memes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Religions, vol. 12, no. 9, 787, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12090787.

Chanjuan, S., Zhiqiang, Z.J. (2020). The Efficacy of Social Distance and Ventilation Effectiveness in Preventing COVID-19 Transmission. Sustainable Cities and Society, vol. 62, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102390.

Copernican Shift. (2020). The Lighter Side of Social Distancing. Pobrane z: https://www.copernicanshift.com/lighter-side-of-social-distancing [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

Cristani, M., Del Bue, A., Murino, V., Setti, F., Vinciarelli, A. (2020). The Visual Social Distancing Problem. IEEE Access, vol. 8, 126876–126886, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3008370.

Davy, B. (2021). Social Distancing and Cultural Bias: On the Spatiality of COVID-19. Journal of the American Planning Association, vol. 87, no. 2, s. 159–166, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2020.1824617.

Deopa, N., Fortunato, P. (2020). Coronagraben: Culture and Social Distancing in Times of COVID-19. UNCTAD Research Paper, no. 49, June.

Dheer, R.J.S., Egri, C.P., Treviño, L.J. (2021). A Cross-Cultural Exploratory Analysis of Pandemic Growth: The Case of COVID-19. Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 52, 1871–1892, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-021-00455-w.

Fallach, D. (2020). Pastisz znaków towarowych wykorzystywanych w modzie w kontekście pandemii. W: M. Jankowska, M. Pawełczyk (red.), Moda i design w świecie COVID-19. Koronakryzys przyczynkiem do refleksji prawniczej, technologicznej i socjologicznej (Cz. 2; s. 358–366). Katowice: Uniwersytet Śląski.

Głażewska, E., Kusio, U. (2012). Komunikacja niewerbalna. Płeć i kultura. Wybór zagadnień. Lublin: Wydawnictwo UMCS.

Głażewska, E., Karwatowska, M. (2021). Maska w „czasach zarazy”. Covidowe wizerunki masek – typologie i funkcje. Lublin: Wydawnictwo UMCS.

Hall, E.T. (1963). A System for the Notation of Proxemic Behavior. American Anthropologist, vol. 65, s. 1003–1026.

Hall, E.T. (1987). Bezgłośny język. Warszawa: PIW.

Hall, E.T. (1997). Ukryty wymiar. Warszawa: Warszawskie Wydawnictwo Literackie Muza SA.

Leathers, D.G. (2007). Komunikacja niewerbalna. Zasady i zastosowania. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Lim, C. (2020). The Funniest Ways People Are Practicing Social Distancing. Pobrane z: https://www.preview.ph/culture/covid-19-funny-ways-people-social-distancing-a1794-20200314 [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

Medonet. (2022). Zasięg koronawirusa COVID-19. Pobrane z: https://www.medonet.pl/koronawirus/to-musisz-wiedziec,zasieg-koronawirusa-covid-19--mapa-,artykul,54726942.html?utm_source=sgonet&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mapasgonet&srcc=mapasgonet [dostęp: 1.01.2022].

Mehta, V. (2020). The New Proxemics: COVID-19, Social Distancing, and Sociable Space. Journal of Urban Design, vol. 25, no. 6, 669–674, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2020.1785283.

Mielniczuk-Skibicka, M. (2020). Modne „covidowe” słowa na wyłączność w modzie? W: M. Jankowska, M. Pawełczyk (red.), Moda i design w świecie COVID-19. Koronakryzys przyczynkiem do refleksji prawniczej, technologicznej i socjologicznej (Cz. 2; s. 334–349). Katowice: Uniwersytet Śląski.

Murphy, P. (2020). Covid-19: Proportionality, Public Policy and Social Distancing. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan.

Nowotny, H. (2021). In AI We Trust: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Pushes us Deeper into Digitalization. W: G. Delanty (Ed.), Pandemics, Politics and Society. Critical Perspectives on the Covid-19 Crisis (s. 101–121). Berlin–Boston: De Gruyter.

Rosa, A.S. de, Mannarini, T. (2021). Covid-19 as an “Invisible Other” and Socio-Spatial Distancing within a One-Metre Individual Bubble. Urban Design International, vol. 26, 370–390, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-021-00151-z.

Sørensen, K., Okan, O., Kondilis, B., Levin-Zamir, D. (2020). Rebranding Social Distancing to Physical Distancing: Calling for a Change in the Health Promotion Vocabulary to Enhance Clear Communication during a Pandemic. Global Health Promotion, vol. 28, no. 1, 5–14, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975920986126.

www1: https://donateamask.org/products/if-you-can-read-this-youre-standing-too-close-socialdistancing-face-mask-reusable-cloth-cover [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

www2: https://imgflip.com/i/3txp0d [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

www3: https://myloview.pl/naklejka-face-mask-in-hand-with-inscription-social-distancing-covid-19-nr-DD2A349 [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

www4: https://pleasecoveryourmouth.com/products/social-distancing [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

www5: https://stock.adobe.com/pl/images/social-distancing-smiley-emoji-vector-sign-emoji-or-emoticon-with-face-mask-in-public-social-distancing-for-covid-19-preventive-measure-vector-illustration/343663718 [dostęp: 31.12.2021].

www6: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus [dostęp: 1.01.2022].

www7: https://www.cafepress.com/+social-distancing+face-masks [dostęp: 31.12.2021].




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/en.2022.7.129-138
Date of publication: 2022-12-28 15:43:59
Date of submission: 2022-01-04 08:40:23


Statistics


Total abstract view - 375
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF (Język Polski) - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2022 Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska, sectio N – Educatio Nova

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.