A sociology of anxiety

Western modern legacy and the Covid-19 outbreak

Bibliographic Data

ID2356124
AuthorsPaola Rebughini (0000-0001-5563-8202, University of Milan, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume36
Issue4
Pages554-568
Publication date2021-07-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0268-5809 • E-ISSN: 1461-7242
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0268580921993325
PMID38603013
OpenAlexW3167171362
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited33

The aim of this article is to investigate the role of anxiety as an emotional state frequently identified as the most characteristic of the history of modern Europe, and of the 'Global North'. Starting from an assessment of the main supporters of this interpretation in social theory - such as the risk society approach of Ulrich Beck, and the role of expert knowledge in Anthony Giddens - the article discusses the current relevance and limitations of this well-established notion. The second part applies this discussion to the role of anxiety in the recent Covid-19 outbreak, and more specifically with regard to its relations with trust in scientific knowledge. Even though Covid-19 has been a global pandemic, this emergency can reveal some cultural and historical characteristics of European anxiety in the geo-cultural map of emotions

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Humanities · Interpretation (philosophy · Sociology · Cultural Differences and Values · Emotions and Moral Behavior · History of Emotions Research · Philosophy

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