Webinar: Value changes in pandemic times

Organized by the Romanian Group for Studying Social Values, this webinar brought together scholars from the community studying social values, and contributes to understanding the changes that Covid19 brings to the social fabric. The webinar took place on the 27th of November, 2020. Four academic presentations, based on accepted papers in a special issue of European Societies, were presented:

Tim Reeskens, Quita Muis, Inge Sieben, Leen Vandecasteele, Ruud Luijkx & Loek Halman. Stability or change of public opinion and values during the coronavirus crisis? Exploring Dutch longitudinal panel data (Full paper here)

Abstract: Some participants of the public debate have argued that the world before and after the coronavirus crisis will look fundamentally different. An underlying assumption is that this crisis will alter public opinion in such a way that it leads to profound societal and political change. Scholarship suggests that while some policy preferences are quite volatile and prone to change under the influence of crises, core values formed during childhood are likely to remain stable. In this article, we test stability or change of a well-selected set of opinions and values before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We rely on a unique longitudinal panel study whereby the Dutch fieldwork of the European Values Study 2017 web survey serves as a baseline; respondents were re-approached in May 2020. The findings indicate that values remain largely stable. However, there is an increase in political support, confirming the so-called rally effect. We conclude our manuscript with a response to the futurists expecting changes in public opinion because of the coronavirus crisis.

Malina Voicu & Delia Bădoi. Fertility and the COVID-19 crisis: do gender roles really matter? (Full paper here)

Abstract: The recent COVID crisis has had many consequences on social life. This paper focuses on potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility intentions. We employ a theoretical approach, analysing the nexus between fertility and the COVID crisis through the lens of gender roles. The purpose of our analysis is to frame the theoretical paths and to prepare a background for further in-depth analysis based on empirical data. We show that biological reduction of fertility is less likely to occur but that behavioural mechanisms in couple’s decision-making will drive the impact on fertility intentions. The health emergency, economic crisis and social distancing will lead to an adjustment of fertility behaviour, while gender roles and social values will moderate the impact of the pandemic.

Francesco Molteni, Riccardo Ladini, Ferruccio Biolcati Rinaldi, Antonio M. Chiesi, Giulia Maria Dotti Sani, Simona Guglielmi, Marco Maraffi, Andrea Pedrazzani, Paolo Segatti & Cristiano Vezzoni. Searching for comfort in religion: insecurity and religious behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy (Full paper here)

Abstract: The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the lives of many is indisputable. Among the possible strategies to cope with the feeling of insecurity that comes with this, religion can play a significant role. Using first-hand data from the ResPOnsE COVID-19 rolling cross-section survey, this article shows that Italian people who reported a COVID-19 contagion in their family reported also higher religiosity both in terms of attendance at religious services (via web, radio and tv) and prayer during the pandemic. The result holds primarily for those who received religious socialization during their childhood, and this reinforces the role of family transmission as a way to shape religious beliefs and behaviours and to provide individuals with religious coping strategies. These findings suggest that under dramatic circumstances a short-term religious revival is possible, even in contexts where the process of secularization is ongoing.

Bogdan Voicu, Edurne Bartolomé Peral, Horațiu Rusu, Gergely Rosta, Mircea Comșa, Octavian-Marian Vasile, Lluís Coromina, Claudiu D. Tufis. COVID-19 and orientations towards solidarity. The cases of Spain, Hungary, and Romania (Full paper here)

Abstract: Solidarity is core to Europe’s societal organisation and was intensively addressed in recent research. Using data collected before and during the lockdown in spring 2020, we examine whether value orientations towards solidarity changed in three countries (Spain, Hungary, and Romania). Before the pandemic, people in Spain expressed higher solidarity than people in Hungary and Romania. Our argument claims that when facing uncertainty, people react negatively, and turn to egocentric values. However, successful state intervention decreases uncertainty and boosts solidarity. Personal experience of a crisis increases caring for others, at least in the short term. Our findings reveal increasing solidarity in Hungary and Romania and stagnant levels in Spain, thus decreasing the distance between these societies. Direct exposure to the virus and the negative experiences associated with it are related to higher solidarity but in different ways across countries. In Spain and Romania, personally knowing someone who is infected corresponds to higher levels of solidarity, while in Hungary being in confinement is associated with increased solidarity. The duration of the lockdown matters. In Romania and in Hungary, high levels of solidarity at the beginning of the lockdown decreased over time but started to increase again after several weeks into the lockdown.

A final discussion of common messages in the papers was delivered by Vera Lomazzi.

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Related news pages: Webinar announcement, Values and CoronaVirus Crisis: Dutch EVS data, Webinar Covid pandemic: cultural changes and social values

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