Mask your neighbour as you mask yourself: Lessons in Solidarity, Kindness, Forgiveness, and Love
Much of the NZ success in combating COVID-19 has come from a high level of public engagement with the stringent methods
used to eliminate the virus. Social Psychology provides some key lessons for how we might further cocreate more
meaningful and practical behavioural change. We only have to look to the recent resurgence in Auckland to understand the
complex an unpredictable nature of the virus. And with ever increasing pressure to relax border control, and the
increased likelihood of community transmission during winter months [1], one further cultural shift NZ could make is the
psychological preparation for community mask use in the event of ongoing future resurgence. This blog explores the
importance of identifying and fostering synergies between top-down and bottom-up Sociopsychological approaches.
This blog attempts to extend the epidemiological psychosocial approach to the web of causation [2], [3] by integrating
key mechanisms from social psychology. Such an approach acknowledges that social dynamics constitute a critical and
often under-acknowledged aspect to the theory and practice of epidemiology [4], [5]. Thus, a distinction between a
reactionary stance to public health and a more meaningful approach might lie in how key individuals and groups might
more mindfully engage with one another. Furthermore, a social-psychological approach acknowledges that such interactions
within and between communities act as fundamental mechanisms which drive and shape long-term outcomes. Nancy Krieger and
colleagues have coined the image of an eco-social epidemiology which views the agency and accountability of individuals
as a critical element of population health and well-being. This eco-social image allows individuals to be rightly
perceived as an integral part of society and yet still affords people their individuality [4].
Rather than battling the so-called “lockdown fatigue” seen in countries around the world, New Zealand due to the 100
days we had between confirmed cases of Community Transmission must be mindful of hubris and/or complacency. The WHO has
recently come out and said in regards to COVID-19 there may be “no silver bullet”, and that we may need to learn to accept the challenges of living “with” rather than “without” this virus at least into
the foreseeable future.The Importance of Top-down Leadership and Science during Public Health Emergencies.
Not only has the steady hand of leadership and centralised fact based messaging played a key role throughout the New
Zealand response, research has found that during times of crisis central individuals, such as politicians, experts and
media personalities play a crucial role in the emergence of prosocial behavior [6]. Fortunately in New Zealand, central
figures, including both public/private institutions and commentators have tended towards embracing science as opposed to
sensationalism. In particular the science of epidemiology offers more promise to human flourishing than is captured by the narrative of
simply preventing disease. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, epidemiologists have not always agreed on the most
pressing determinants of population health. Although ‘multiple causality’ is generally accepted, there are still camps
who prefer to take a more biologic, unidirectional approach [7], [8]. This functionally fixated approach does not
acknowledge the complex digital world we live in today, where peripheral factors such as social contagion [15] and
adjunct leadership can both help and hinder traditional medical interventions.The Importance of Bottom-up Community and Social Dynamics during Public Health Emergencies.
The process through which public health interventions scale up is not always straightforward. As the disparity of
successful interventions around the world illustrates, achieving full compliance on any one intervention, does not
guarantee the desired population level outcomes. Research into social norms suggests that normative behaviours are
always undergoing some form of evolution – for better or for worse. Under the right conditions, social norms can be
gradually encouraged to support prosocial behaviour [9], [10]. Nobel laureate Ellinor Ostrom’s body of work may hold
some of the answers. Ostrom highlights how communities can successfully manage common pool resources [11], and illustrates how, by incorporating a participative institutional design, communities can govern themselves to
meet collectively desired outcomes [9]. Due to the complex social dynamics in play, New Zealand might look to leverage
social norms as they emerge to effect behavioural change in a positive way [12], [9], [11], [13].
A starting point might be the framing of mask wearing in moral terms by pointing out the benefits to both individuals
and the greater collective good. Unfortunately, the simple facemask, which should have been a straightforward public
health intervention has found itself as one of the most contentious symbols of the pandemic. From the earliest days of
the NZ lockdown, I have been arguing that mask-wearing needs to be reframed, to not just protect oneself, but to protect others, and as a gesture towards solidarity. This subtle shift in framing empowers individuals and their communities from the bottom up to take control of their
individual and community health and wellbeing.
By enabling a participatory institutional design framework to evolve, New Zealand may be better suited to leverage the
social network effects already in play and in turn avert the mask version of the tragedy of the commons [14], [15], [16]. For example, in East Asia, a strong sense of collective responsibility has emerged as a way to signal
the importance of wearing a mask. South Korea in particular, who have embraced both mass-masking and digital
technologies, perfectly illustrates how community-led sanctions emerge and scale up through loosely coupled social networks that reward prosocial behaviour. New Zealand’s leading community psychologist, Niki Harré, in her 2018 book ‘Psychology for a Better World’ [17] highlights that in order to achieve a more sustainable world, it is not necessary that everyone be morally
driven, just that enough of us are, in order to nudge our collective behaviour towards the most desirable outcomes [18].Lessons in Solidarity, Kindness, Forgiveness and LoveSolidarity
Humans are first and foremost social beings and learn best by observing and imitating one another [17]. This suggests
that the examples individuals and groups set through their own actions within localised social networks and their wider
community greatly influence macro level phenomena such as public health. An illustrative example of this has been the
Czech Republic #Masks4all movement, which combined both fun and solidarity within a grassroots mass-masking campaign.
Through leveraging the ingenuity of homegrown sewing enthusiasts and the collective spirit of social media personalities, the republic moved beyond both their supply chain issues and cultural hang ups around masking in a matter of days. New
Zealand is already famous for its number eight wire mentality. To gain even further leverage we might do well to
encourage public personalities and New Zealand leadership to don a mask publicly. This will send a powerful signal to our international fraternity that us Kiwi’s are an emphatic partner in the global
fight against COVID-19.
Kindness
Inherently people want to do good, and especially during times of crisis, moral framings that nudge us towards notions
of being kind resonate deeply [18]. Harré speaks of the importance of framing existential-like challenges in positive
terms [17], which extend upon Rappaport’s community narrative concept of highlighting ‘tales of joy’, rather than ‘tales
of terror’ [19]. Fortunately, our government has already incorporated notions of “being kind” into their public health messaging campaign. In practical terms, during the middle of the lockdown we saw New
Zealanders respond positively to both the Teddy bears in the window and the ‘stand at dawn’ Anzac celebration. If the resurgence of COVID-19 were to go beyond the two week lockdown the masking debacle and arguments around loss of
liberty would likely continue. As a country we might do well to take the message of kindness and frame the concept of
‘community-masking’ as a tale of joy, one in which wearing a mask is not just about being kind to oneself, but of
showing kindness to our team of 5 million.Forgiveness
As historian Carlo Ginzburg has chronicled, during severe outbreaks of disease, societies often resort to scapegoating
others as a means of discharging all kinds of fears, hatreds and tension [20]. A modern-day example being the antisocial
outbursts towards masks that has gone viral online. Instead, New Zealand’s approach has valued empathy and kotahitanga
as a way of navigating this public health emergency. To further extend this approach, individuals, communities and
government bodies might do well to embrace the practice of forgiveness and empathy for others, which can be made salient
through community mask wearing. The philosopher Keith Yandell argues that forgiveness, when offered and accepted,
demonstrates the human capacity to restore the common bonds of humanity. This is especially important if we share the cosmopolitan goal of flourishing together as communities and individuals
[21] in times of crisis. As a starting point, this practice might entail learning to forgive and looking towards a
spirit of compassion even when we are deeply disappointed at a social response. Practicing forgiveness sets the stage for present-day communities to leverage the ancient wisdom of the golden rule: “doing unto others, as you would have them do unto you”.
Love
Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, following the attacks against humanity which took place in Christchurch on March
15th, 2019, New Zealanders nationwide demonstrated their immense sense of fortitude. An outpouring of love flowed from
the hearts of politicians and public figures and the New Zealand people as a whole. New Zealand’s sense of community and
its focus on solidarity in times of crisis signaled to the world that through love, we can conquer even the most dire of
adversities. In the current COVID-19 context, due to our relative success on the global stage, New Zealand is well
placed to summon “our team of 5 million” to come together and share our kotahitanga and aroha with the world. Through
the combination of public figures, community and heart, us Kiwis might do well to reframe the simple act of donning a
mask as one that does not just contribute to individual level outcomes, but as a behavioural trace of our individual and
collective intention to show love. We have all heard the famous maxim “love thy neighbour as thyself”. In effect, COVID-19 extends the logic underpinning this age-old maxim: mask your neighbour as you mask yourself.ReferencesSajadi MM, Habibzadeh P, Vintzileos A, Shokouhi S, Miralles-Wilhelm F, Amoroso A. Temperature and latitude analysis to
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