Social Distancing

Social action theorists spend a lot of their energy in explaining society through interactions. They look at how people's behaviour is influenced by others, this could be a teacher, a friend, a police officer. They also look at how we interpret signs. these signs could be facial, body language or actual signs. They are bottom up theorists who believe that people influence social change. Weber believed capitalism was caused by how Lutherans interpreted the Word of God. Their belief in a puritanical lifestyle, not spending money on luxuries, led to vast wealth which was invested in work. I see some truth in this as the now rare trip to the shops shows me how much we actually spend on wine, biscuits and various other items.

So how then is the idea of social distancing going to affect us? How do we live within this framework. How do we interpret the fact that people are giving us a wide berth? this week there was talk of 'green shoots' , a plateau in confirmed cases. This was followed by a hike in deaths which was always going to be the case. Away from the arguments over testing and the timing of these we will look at the basic message from the government and the NHS - social distancing saves lives. The basic quantitative data makes sense, if you stay at home you are unlikely to be infected or infect someone else. If you continue to come into contact with lots of people you may be infected, then if you infect two others and they then go onto infect two others and so on. It makes sense. Stay at home. Some people do not have that choice as we have seen.

But what is the interpretation of this simple message? On my daily walks at 6am I rarely see anyone. Before This I saw regular dog walkers and runners and one very angry man marching as if to war. I don't see them now. So the message (even to the angry man) has been interpreted as 'stay in'. Yesterday we needed some essentials. I put on a rucksack and went to our Costcutter. On the way I saw several people all out exercising (mostly walking but a few runners and lone cyclists. I  crossed the road several times to give people space and at one point two women who were talking to a man across the road moved for me. But I did see some young lads on bikes and a car of young men smoking. Again the interpretations are different. I've heard of some people being shouted at in woodland walks to 'stay clear' but I've not experienced this. I did go onto the road at one point as a young dad and his child in a large pram approached, he thanked me. I smiled back. I decided this would be my approach, thank people thus showing that social distance is not through fear on anxiety but as a courtesy, an act of solidarity. Social distancing was soon put to a test in the shop. Our local Costcutter has been heroic these last two weeks, stocking its shelves, delivering to the vulnerable. Essential service as many local shops have been across the nation. They have chalked out distances and allow only three people at a time. I failed totally here. I panicked, forgot things on my list, backtracked and at one point lost my basket. The young women stacking shelves suffered me kindly, found flour and icing sugar for me and sent me on my way.

Social distancing happens in case someone coughs on you. Droplets as a microbiologist says in today's Guardian newspaper. that's how we can pass This on. The microbiologist is interesting, she washes her apples in soap. She deals with microbes and virus in her working life, she studies it. Her interpretation is much stricter than most.

It is inevitable that people will interpret social distancing based on their own experiences. Some will respect it, understand it. Some will fear it and some will ignore it. helicopters flew over my house last night as I washed up. Our house looks over Halifax, the helicopters were flying around the valley. They reminded me of Northern Ireland where I grew up. It occurred to me that  my obedience to social distancing may come from my upbringing. As a boy and teenager I was used to strict movement both official and sectarian. Soldiers walked the streets, you were searched in Woolworths. Road blocks prevented you leaving town without documentation. My interpretation of social distancing is based on that. Others may be sceptical of government and science, seeking their knowledge and experience from the internet or books. Or they may see their sense of liberty being over curbed. i remember the anger over healthy eating in schools in the 2000s. Mothers passing pizza and chips through school railings.  Others will interpret it through their own anxiety , shouting at people who are too close. These people will be afraid. Social distancing will be a literal thing.

Some people will be lonely. Human beings are social animals, we like to socialise. Social media is a way on doing this but does it replace the actual human contact. A student contacted me and said they were lonely, they missed the actual classroom, other people helped them to learn. Older people may be on their own without contact. Women in their 70s and 80s are most likely to live alone. Social distancing may be a very negative thing for them to experience. This is perhaps why the rainbows in windows and clapping NHS workers is an important sense of community. It may not be enough but it is something. The radio, the television is important. Churches giving out CDs of services a way of helping. Experience tells some of us that this is yet another 'thing' something that we will remember like 9/11. We will interpret social distancing in that way. Others will see it as a much more fearful thing. We should all interpret it as a necessary evil so that we can return to social action soon.