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COVID-19 Pandemic and the Crisis of Care: Wellness Discourses, Neoliberal Self-Care, and (Dis)Infodemic

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  • Ladan Rahbari

    (Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, 1000 GG Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an influx of misinformation surrounding the virus and its origins. This paper examines the negative consequences of neoliberal self-care discourses related to COVID-19 that contributed to the disinfodemic, focusing on the wellness industry. Some health gurus and wellness instructors promoted lifestyle adjustments and self-care to prevent contracting the virus and sometimes blamed COVID-19 patients for contracting it. These claims contributed to vaccine hesitancy and pseudo-scientific beliefs. The misinformation was attractive partly because it promised individual control and independence from mainstream (scientific) advice. These discourses existed before the pandemic but were amplified within the wellness community after the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes by exploring the feminist notions of care and solidarity as a counter to the neoliberal notion of self-care.

Suggested Citation

  • Ladan Rahbari, 2023. "COVID-19 Pandemic and the Crisis of Care: Wellness Discourses, Neoliberal Self-Care, and (Dis)Infodemic," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:3:p:137-:d:1083069
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ruud ter Meulen & Katharine Wright, 2010. "The Role of Family Solidarity: Ethical and Social Issues," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 8(2), pages 13-17, 07.
    2. Ruud ter Meulen & Katharine Wright, 2010. "The Role of Family Solidarity: Ethical and Social Issues," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 8(02), pages 13-17, July.
    3. repec:ces:ifodic:v:8:y:2010:i:2:p:14566958 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Sébastien Goudeau & Camille Sanrey & Arnaud Stanczak & Antony Manstead & Céline Darnon, 2021. "Why lockdown and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to increase the social class achievement gap," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(10), pages 1273-1281, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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