Galkin, Konstantin, and Oksana Parfenova. 2024. “Biopolitics and the Construction of (Mis)Trust: Public Discourse Regarding Pandemic Governance in Saint Petersburg, Russia”. Canadian Journal of European and Russian Studies 17 (2):64-82. https: ...

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/CJERS/article/view/4390 (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 13.12.2024)

Abstract

This study is dedicated to the development of (dis)trust of the measures taken by the authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the concept of biopolitics, we analyze reactions of social network users and their communication with the authorities. For this purpose, throughout one year we have studied posts in one of the official public pages of Saint Petersburg authorities. The posts concerned various anti-COVID measures: vaccination, mask requirement, distance learning, and other restrictions, and comments on them. For the analysis, we used the AntConc program. Based on the findings, we identified three discourses. The most prominent two are those of dissent and resistance. These are based on users’ distrust, doubts, and unwillingness to follow the prescribed measures. Within these two discourses, users communicate with different public authorities more actively. Communication follows the same pattern: in response to questions, the authorities provide template references to legislative decrees regulating specific restrictions and vaccination, which does not build trust and further exacerbates the discontent among users. The discourse of consent is based on expressing solidarity with the measures taken and revolves around some users persuading others of the benefits of vaccination, social distancing, and face masks. As there are virtually no opportunities for active and legal resistance to biopolitical measures, we presume that in practice discursive resistance results in the invention of evasion tactics: not wearing a mask, not vaccinating, trying to get a hold of a fake QR code, etc.

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