Looking at Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy through a macro perspective. A comparative study of Italy, Poland and Portugal

Authors

  • Silvia Cervia University of Pisa
  • Maja Sawicka University of Warsaw
  • Barbara Sena University of Bergamo
  • Mauro Serapioni University of Coimbra

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1285/i20356609v15i3p595

Keywords:

Covid-19 vaccination, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Vaccination hesitancy

Abstract

This article aims to overcome the most common interpretive paradigms on vaccine hesitancy and refusal when are limited to consider the individual or group level and provide a contextual reading. For the purpose of this study, cultural, economic and political conditions are considered constituent materials of "thinking" and "doing" in everyday life and of "problematizing" the issue of vaccines in the Covid-19 era. By adopting an analytical model derived from Sewell's pattern of contextualized structures (as a result of schemas and resources), the article compares three exemplary cases: Portugal, the country with the highest rate of Covid-19 vaccination; Italy, one of the most vaccine-hesitant western countries in Europe; and Poland, which with its vaccination rate well exemplifies vaccine-hesitant post-socialist CEE countries. By combining the schemas and resources, this study gives a social map with types of context-driven structures and offers an initial interpretative key useful to understanding the complexity of problem framing and structuring in the Covid-19 pandemic era in different sociocultural and political contexts.

Author Biographies

Silvia Cervia, University of Pisa

Silvia Cervia, PhD in Sociology, is Senior Researcher in Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes, Department of Political Science, University of Pisa, Italy. Her research has focused on understanding the impact of the transforming public decision-making processes in advanced democracy on health equity and access to care. On this topic she has written books, journal articles and book chapters.

Maja Sawicka, University of Warsaw

Maja Sawicka, PhD in Sociology, is Assistant Professor at the Chair of Digital Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Warsaw, and an analyst at the Digital Economy Lab, UW. Her research focuses on emotions and social interactions, and qualitative methods of social inquiry. She is currently investigating anti-vaccination cyber communities, and reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic in Polish society.

Barbara Sena, University of Bergamo

Barbara Sena, European Ph.D in Socio-economic and statistical studies, is currently Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Bergamo, Department of Letters, Philosophy, Communication. Her research interests and publications include qualitative research methods, sociological theories and health issues. Her recent publications are on case study approach, interprofessional care and vaccination hesitancy.

Mauro Serapioni, University of Coimbra

Mauro Serapioni, PhD in Sociology, is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). He is professor at the PhD Programme in “Democracy in the 21st Century” and visiting professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). His main areas of research and publication include public participation and social inequalities in Southern European health systems.

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Published

12-01-2023

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Vol. 15, No. 3 (2022). Special issue on: "Investigating Vaccine Controversies during the Covid-19 Pandemic"

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