The Institute of psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, mahovskayaoi@ipran.com
The article contains a review of Western social-psychological sources on the role of media in the formation of solidarity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Solidarity is considered as a complex socio-psychological construct based on the ideas of a just world order, the values of freedom, equality, fraternity, empathy, positive personal and group identity, and the experience of mutual assistance. The European approach to the study of solidarity remains value-normative, while the American one is most pragmatic, built on learning and experience. Respectively, media strategies differ in the context of a pandemic: promotion of the values of life, mutual assistance, idealization of heroes (doctors, volunteers), on the one hand, information, organization of assistance, trainings, on the other. It is shown that in times of crisis, media can have a negative impact on the audience, increase anxiety, stress, and inappropriate search behavior in secondary victims, and stimulate negative (“against”) solidarity. The role of social networks in the consolidation of groups is underestimated: virtual weak and latent connections are strengthened and can be used to inform and conduct training in quarantine conditions. Media strategies in pandemic should include online education, the formation and strengthening of solidarity attitudes and patterns in society.
pandemic; infodemia; solidarity; social medias; skills; identity; attitudes; empathy; metaphor of war
Download textFor citing: Makhovskaya O.I. (2022). The potential of media in the formation of solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic: overview of social and psychological literature. Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow: INION RAN. Vol. 2(50): Adaptive human being: communication, discourse, speech and language of modern society, pp. 7-23. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2022.02.01