Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A typology of the political denial of COVID-19
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613801509027840 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Robertson, Sune |
| author2 | Fourie, Pieter Paul |
| author_browse | Fourie, Pieter Paul Robertson, Sune |
| author_facet | Fourie, Pieter Paul Robertson, Sune |
| author_sort | Robertson, Sune |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125953 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:54.752Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125953 A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 Robertson, Sune Fourie, Pieter Paul Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Denialism COVID-19 (Disease) COVID-19 (Disease)--Political aspects World Health Organization WHO Public health Public relations International relations UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic demands a response from governments all over the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) provided guidelines which states could implement in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, it was clear from the beginning that certain states were more successful than others in containing the spread. Effective strategies could only be implemented when the threat of the virus had been identified and when those in governing positions had reached agreement about the threat. Yet in various states, disagreement about the threat was exactly what delayed the effective response. There were various factors that kept governments from implementing the appropriate measures to deal with the outbreak of the virus. One clear hurdle that stood in the way of the effective implementation of measures was political denial of COVID-19. This denial was visible in various countries and impeded effective leadership at a time when it was most needed. Political denial undermined the implementation of science-driven measures and also allowed government officials to pursue other objectives. Denial in general has been widely studied in Psychology and Sociology, but not directly in International Relations (IR). For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine whether it is possible to develop a heuristic device that is specific to the political denial of COVID-19, and which can be used to identify and explain this specific denial. The study followed the qualitative research methodology. Stanley Cohen’s typology of official denial was used to establish a framework for the analysis of political denial. This typology was supplemented by the political factor of Power, which led to the creation of the typology of the political denial of COVID-19. This typology was applied to three case studies. The case study design was used to analyse the political denial of COVID-19 in Brazil, the United States of America (USA), and Tanzania. Content analysis and semi-structured interviews were the data collection methods used. It was found that the typology of the political denial of COVID-19 makes it possible to identify and describe the political denial that had been the response utilised by government officials and heads of state. The typology provided three methods of denial, namely literal, interpretive, and implicatory denial, illustrating how the political denial had been operationalized. The typology also provided the concept of Power as a mechanism to explain decision-making among government officials. Therefore, the typology satisfies the need for a device that explains political denial in IR. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die COVID-19-pandemie eis 'n reaksie van regerings regoor die wereld. Die Wereldgesondheidsorganisasie (WGO) het riglyne verskaf wat state kan implementeer in 'n poging om die verspreiding van COVID-19 te bekamp. Dit was egter van die begin af duidelik dat sekere state meer suksesvol as ander was om die verspreiding te voorkom. Doeltreffende strategiee kon slegs geimplementeer word wanneer die bedreiging van die virus geidentifiseer is en wanneer diegene in regerende posisies ooreenkoms bereik het oor die bedreiging. Tog in verskeie state was onenigheid oor die bedreiging presies wat die effektiewe reaksie vertraag het. Daar was verskeie faktore wat regerings daarvan weerhou het om die toepaslike maatreels in te stel om die uitbreek van die virus te hanteer. Een duidelike struikelblok wat in die pad van die effektiewe implementering van maatreels gestaan het, was politieke ontkenning van COVID-19. Hierdie ontkenning was sigbaar in verskeie lande en het effektiewe leierskap belemmer in 'n tyd toe dit die nodigste was. Politieke ontkenning het die implementering van wetenskapgedrewe maatreels ondermyn en ook staatsamptenare toegelaat om ander doelwitte na te streef. Ontkenning in die algemeen is wyd bestudeer in Sielkunde en Sosiologie, maar nie direk in Internasionale Betrekkinge (IR) nie. Daarom was die doel van hierdie studie om te bepaal of dit moontlik is om 'n heuristiese toestel te ontwikkel wat spesifiek is vir die politieke ontkenning van COVID-19. Die studie het die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie gevolg. Stanley Cohen se tipologie van amptelike ontkenning is gebruik om 'n raamwerk vir die ontleding van politieke ontkenning daar te stel. Hierdie tipologie is aangevul deur die politieke faktor van Mag, wat gelei het tot die skepping van die tipologie van die politieke ontkenning van COVID-19. Hierdie tipologie is op drie gevallestudies toegepas. Die gevallestudie-ontwerp is gebruik om die politieke ontkenning van COVID-19 in Brasilie, die Verenigde State van Amerika (VSA) en Tanzanie te ontleed. Inhoudsanalise en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was die data-insamelingsmetodes wat gebruik is. Daar is gevind dat die tipologie van die politieke ontkenning van COVID-19 dit moontlik maak om die politieke ontkenning te identifiseer en te beskryf wat die reaksie was wat deur regeringsamptenare en staatshoofde gebruik is. Die tipologie het drie metodes van ontkenning verskaf, naamlik letterlike, interpreterende en implikerende ontkenning, wat illustreer hoe die politieke ontkenning geoperasionaliseer is. Die tipologie het ook die konsep van Mag verskaf as 'n meganisme om besluitneming te verduidelik. Daarom voldoen die tipologie aan die behoefte om 'n toestel wat politieke ontkenning in IR verduidelik. Masters 2022-11-11T07:59:58Z 2023-01-16T12:42:49Z 2022-11-11T07:59:58Z 2023-01-16T12:42:49Z 2022-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125953 en_ZA Stellenbosch University ix, 108 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Denialism COVID-19 (Disease) COVID-19 (Disease)--Political aspects World Health Organization WHO Public health Public relations International relations UCTD Robertson, Sune A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title | A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title_full | A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title_short | A typology of the political denial of COVID-19 |
| title_sort | typology of the political denial of covid 19 |
| topic | Denialism COVID-19 (Disease) COVID-19 (Disease)--Political aspects World Health Organization WHO Public health Public relations International relations UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125953 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertsonsune atypologyofthepoliticaldenialofcovid19 AT robertsonsune typologyofthepoliticaldenialofcovid19 |