Factors explaining social resilience against COVID-19: the case of Spain

ABSTRACT

Between March and May, Spain was one of the hardest-hit European countries by the COVID-19 pandemic and registered one of the highest death rates in the world. Among other measures, the political response was a lockdown of more than three months that was applied by means of six fifteen-day extensions. The Spanish Sociological Research Centre (Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas; CIS, in its Spanish acronym) carried out a survey in early June (n = 4,258) asking respondents about their rating of the response to the situation and their ability to cope with further extensions of the state of emergency. The concept of resilience is key to understanding this situation and the population's ability to face up to it. This paper analyses factors that help bolster resilience, which include confidence in the political leader and in the perception or rating of the measures adopted. The conclusion highlights the importance of political communication, both of leadership and of political measures, in fostering social resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Resilience
• COVID-19
• political trust
• political communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Juan Sebastián Fernández-Prados

Juan Sebastián Fernández-Prados, Sociology PhD, is an Assistant Professor at University of Almería (Spain) since 1993. He is the head of the sociology research group (SEJ419, Sociology Section) and collaborates with the Center for the Study of Migration and Intercultural Relations (CEMyRI). His main research interests are focused on survey methodology, social participation and migratory movements.

Antonia Lozano-Díaz

Antonia Lozano-Díaz, Education PhD, is an Assistant Professor at University of Almería since 2009-2012, 2017 onwards. She is member of the research group (HUM1028 “International Comparative Research”). Her current research topics focus on digital citizenship, cyberactivism and Sustainable Development Goals.

Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez

Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez, Social Work PhD, is an Assistant Professor at University of Almería. He is the member of the research group (SEJ419, Sociology Section) and collaborates with the Center for the Study of Migration and Intercultural Relations (CEMyRI). His main research interests are focused on social policy, social intervention and vulnerable collectives.