Perceptions of a Pandemic : A Cross-Continental Comparison of Citizen Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behaviors During Covid-19

While responses to the Covid-19 pandemic varied based on the timing of the onset of cases and the severity of the disease, Perceptions of a Pandemic analyzes and compares the perceptions and attitudes of citizens in the US and Finland during the pandemic’s early stages and relates these to health and wellbeing outcomes after the pandemic ended.

With findings based on rich survey data from 1,500 Americans and 1,500 Finns, this study provides a unique contrast between systems of government, welfare approaches, levels of trust, and other factors that shape the citizenry’s relationship with their government and social institutions across continents. What behaviors – from teleworking to media consumption to mask wearing – changed? What attitudes, such as trust in institutions and confidence in science, patterned these behaviors and any changes that occurred in them? How were these factors reflected in opinions on related policies?

Bridging sociology and public policy, this deeply insightful work challenges us to confront the issues and challenges that we need to consider before the next global health crisis emerges.

James Hawdon is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech.

Donna Sedgwick is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech.

C. Cozette Comer is Evidence Synthesis Services Coordinator at the University Libraries at Virginia Tech.

Pekka Räsänen is Professor of Economic Sociology at University Turku, Finland.