COVID-19 and the Left: The Tyranny of Fear (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology)

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Synopsis
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures introduced to purportedly contain its spread have wrought an unprecedented global social transformation.Authoritarian measures such as lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the enforced wearing of facemasks, have led to a biopolitical disenfranchisement of human rights and the encroachment of state and corporate directives onto private lives. By supporting these measures, the left has lost sight of its traditional critique of capital, the state, and class society and has instead reinforced existing power structures in the name of ‘saving lives’. In doing so, the left has contributed to widespread suffering, especially among the ‘vulnerable’ groups in society the measures claimed to protect, particularly children, the elderly, and the poor.COVID-19 and the Left explores why the left has departed from its self-understanding as a critical force against state power, unfettered capital accumulation, the digital transformation, biopolitics, and a politics of social discrimination, and instead has largely assumed a stance in line with the neoliberal consensus. In particular, the essays in this collection explore the role of fear, panic, and psychological blackmailing as a tool of domination in late capitalist society and consider whether the left has been a victim, or an active perpetrator, of a ‘tyranny of fear’.Drawing upon approaches from various disciplines and interrogating shibboleths on the left and right, the essays in this volume consider the ideological, sociocultural, and economic implications of the historical rupture that the COVID-19 pandemic presents and instead argue for a counter-narrative to fear and its harmful consequences. This provocative collection will be of considerable interest to those with an interest in the contemporary left and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Copyright:
2024

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9781040028865
Related ISBNs:
9781040028834, 9781032486697, 9781003390183
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
selection and editorial matter, Elena Louisa Lange and Geoff Shullenberger
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Philosophy, Sociology
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.
Edited by:
Elena Louisa Lange
Edited by:
Geoff Shullenberger

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