Citizenship and COVID-19: Syndemic Effects

Abstract

This article begins the task of outlining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to matters of citizenship, using what is termed a “syndemic analysis.” This type of analysis places both the pandemic and citizenship in their wider contexts. The synergistic or intersectional thinking encouraged by the characterization of the pandemic as a syndemic, which links together health, socio-economic issues, and political questions, is useful for highlighting how much more vulnerable to many of the negative impacts of the pandemic in the sphere of citizenship are those who are also more vulnerable both to catching and suffering more seriously from the virus and to experiencing negatively the externalities of the measures taken to restrict social contact by shutting down economies. While the scope of the review is relatively broad and encompasses many different domains of “pandemic life,” what emerges from the analysis are important insights into how many of the impacts of the pandemic in fact operate at the intersection of citizenship and constitutional law and thus play out in the form of changes in relation to constitutional citizenship, both as ideal and as practice. The article takes an important step towards developing the use of constitutional citizenship as a framing device for understanding citizenship as putative full membership in a given society.

Migrant-focused inequity, distrust and an erosion of care within Sweden's healthcare and media discourses during COVID-19

“…Globally, despite high-level warnings that migrants living in precarious life conditions were both particularly vulnerable to COVID and political stigmatization that might worsen pandemic control measures (UNHCR, 2020), the pandemic has disproportionately impacted migrants with citizenship status playing a significant role in determining health outcomes (Shaw, 2021). Although in many cases the disproportionate impact on migrants has been due to explicit obstacles to health access, the Swedish case demonstrates how exclusion can often be much more passive but no less dangerous.…”

Values, indicators and policies. A reflection starting from sustainability issues and the covid-19 pandemic [Valori, indicatori e politiche. Una riflessione a partire dalle questioni della sostenibilità e della pandemia di covid-19]

“…Discussions on issues of this kind can be found e.g. in Qerimi (2020); Moroni et al (2020); Richardson and Devine (2020); Cafaggi and Iamiceli (2021); Shaw (2021); Pech (2022). 10 The concept of legitimacy as used here should therefore not be confused with those of acceptability, confidence, or trust, which in the (Covid-19) literature are sometimes used interchangeably (while they concern different issues: Khemani, 2020;Guglielmi et al, 2020).…”

“…8 Per quanto riguarda alcuni SDGs, ad esempio l'SDG 11, va comunque notato che vengono presi in considerazione diversi obiettivi, definiti formalmente, ma senza alcuna «soglia quantitativa». 9 Discussioni su questo tipo di problemi si trovano ad esempio in Qerimi (2020), Richardson e Devine (2020), Moroni et al (2020), Cafaggi e Iamiceli (2021), Shaw (2021), Pech (2022. 10 Il concetto di legittimità utilizzato in questa sede non deve quindi essere confuso con qu12elli di acceptability, confidence, o trust, che nella letteratura (Covid-19) sono talvolta utilizzati in modo intercambiabile (mentre implicano questioni completamente diverse: Khemani, 2020;Guglielmi et al, 2021).…”

Homocentric Approach and Migration: Challenges in Transnational Constitutionalism

“…However, the (non)presence of such a certificate can lead to discrimination and segregation, creating a potential class of 'super-citizens' as vaccination with an EU-authorized vaccine can give them particular benefits: from the right to enter the EU, use public transport, visit a local supermarket, an opera or restaurant, apply for a job, travel abroad and be elected/appointed to top positions in public authorities. In such a situation, citizenship is not about equality being 'trumpeted in many constitutions' globally (Shaw, 2021(Shaw, , 1635(Shaw, -1660.…”