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COVID-19 Stigma and Charismatic Social Relationship: A Legitimization Narrative of President Trump’s Status as a Charismatic Leader following a SARS-CoV-2 Infection Reported by the Portuguese Media

Author

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  • Carlos Miguel Ferreira

    (Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences—CICS.NOVA, Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies, 2765-273 Estoril, Portugal)

  • Sandro Serpa

    (Interdisciplinary Centre for Childhood and Adolescence—NICA—UAc, Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences—CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.UAc, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal)

Abstract

This concept paper aimed to understand how stigma, a concept usually associated with negative social relationships, in the context of a pandemic threat such as COVID-19 can, in some situations, structure a charismatic social relationship in a perceived positive association between stigma and a specific social characteristic. For this purpose, we used the example of the news selected and highlighted by several Portuguese media about the actions and messages developed by President Trump in the context of his infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent recovery process. These news reports gave visibility to a narrative that can be considered as reinforcing the legitimization of his condition as a charismatic leader in an electoral context marked by the pandemic threat. In conclusion, stigma associated with a pandemic health threat and generally linked to a negative social status can also reinforce admiration, trust, and belief in the charismatic leader by supporters and followers, as demonstrated with the plight of President Trump. Stigma can be a factor in social uplift in affirming an upward trajectory of social status and symbolic power for actors seen as ill, where stigma-motivated discrimination is experienced positively, unlike in most cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Miguel Ferreira & Sandro Serpa, 2021. "COVID-19 Stigma and Charismatic Social Relationship: A Legitimization Narrative of President Trump’s Status as a Charismatic Leader following a SARS-CoV-2 Infection Reported by the Portuguese Media," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-13, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:130-:d:666767
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leonardo Baccini & Abel Brodeur & Stephen Weymouth, 2021. "The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 US presidential election," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 739-767, April.
    2. Krzysztof Goniewicz & Amir Khorram-Manesh, 2021. "Maintaining Social Distancing during the COVID-19 Outbreak," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-7, January.
    3. Keetie Roelen & Caroline Ackley & Paul Boyce & Nicolas Farina & Santiago Ripoll, 2020. "COVID-19 in LMICs: The Need to Place Stigma Front and Centre to Its Response," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(5), pages 1592-1612, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sandro Serpa & Carlos Miguel Ferreira, 2022. "Challenges of Post-COVID-19 for a Sustainably Developed Society," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-4, April.

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