The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger

The pandemic context put into operation social policies that sought to accompany the difficulties in earning an income. Against this background, social policies acquired a visible centrality in state agendas, dedicated to dealing with the health emergency caused by COVID-19. In the Argentine case,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrea Dettano, Rebeca Cena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Social Work & Society 2024-12-01
Series:Social Work and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1724
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849419928733483008
author Andrea Dettano
Rebeca Cena
author_facet Andrea Dettano
Rebeca Cena
author_sort Andrea Dettano
collection DOAJ
description The pandemic context put into operation social policies that sought to accompany the difficulties in earning an income. Against this background, social policies acquired a visible centrality in state agendas, dedicated to dealing with the health emergency caused by COVID-19. In the Argentine case, a policy called Emergency Family Income (EFI) was implemented, consisting of a cash transfer intended to mitigate the loss of income generated by Social, Preventive, and Compulsory Isolation (SPCI). The EFI's management, implementation, access, and collection method underwent a digitalisation process, enabling access through official and nonofficial channels. Among nonofficial channels there are Facebook Groups, where the beneficiaries of social policies exchange information, doubts, and advice. Its application and actual access encountered several obstacles and engendered different emotions. As part of a virtual ethnography in a Facebook group, this paper develops -from the social studies of emotions-, how anger unfolds in the collection of a social policy. The analysis of emotions in state interventions allows us to reformulate the study of the implementation processes. The main findings are 1) anger appears as a product of the mismatch between expectation and experience in the face of irregular operations in its implementation; 2) anger presents a binding and supportive character that is shared in the search for empathy and is reinforced by sharing it; 3) it is driven by the evaluations of deserving/not deserving subsidies 4) politicians and different leaders are regarded as legitimate recipients. The conclusions highlight the central place that anger holds in the implementation of social policies. Studying anger allows us to shed light on the obstacles and the practices involved in state interventions and thus improve the implementation processes of social policies based on the experiences of the recipient population. It also makes it possible to identify some guidelines for improving government interventions, such as help with digitalisation processes; provide clear and uniform information; comply with regular payments; assist recipients; and promote government transparency.
format Article
id doaj-art-966235d33d974c1b8ddc032aae18cd3b
institution Kabale University
issn 1613-8953
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Social Work & Society
record_format Article
series Social Work and Society
spelling doaj-art-966235d33d974c1b8ddc032aae18cd3b2025-08-20T03:31:55ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532024-12-01221The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of angerAndrea DettanoRebeca Cena The pandemic context put into operation social policies that sought to accompany the difficulties in earning an income. Against this background, social policies acquired a visible centrality in state agendas, dedicated to dealing with the health emergency caused by COVID-19. In the Argentine case, a policy called Emergency Family Income (EFI) was implemented, consisting of a cash transfer intended to mitigate the loss of income generated by Social, Preventive, and Compulsory Isolation (SPCI). The EFI's management, implementation, access, and collection method underwent a digitalisation process, enabling access through official and nonofficial channels. Among nonofficial channels there are Facebook Groups, where the beneficiaries of social policies exchange information, doubts, and advice. Its application and actual access encountered several obstacles and engendered different emotions. As part of a virtual ethnography in a Facebook group, this paper develops -from the social studies of emotions-, how anger unfolds in the collection of a social policy. The analysis of emotions in state interventions allows us to reformulate the study of the implementation processes. The main findings are 1) anger appears as a product of the mismatch between expectation and experience in the face of irregular operations in its implementation; 2) anger presents a binding and supportive character that is shared in the search for empathy and is reinforced by sharing it; 3) it is driven by the evaluations of deserving/not deserving subsidies 4) politicians and different leaders are regarded as legitimate recipients. The conclusions highlight the central place that anger holds in the implementation of social policies. Studying anger allows us to shed light on the obstacles and the practices involved in state interventions and thus improve the implementation processes of social policies based on the experiences of the recipient population. It also makes it possible to identify some guidelines for improving government interventions, such as help with digitalisation processes; provide clear and uniform information; comply with regular payments; assist recipients; and promote government transparency. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1724PandemicAngerSocial PoliciesEmotionsSocial Networks
spellingShingle Andrea Dettano
Rebeca Cena
The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
Social Work and Society
Pandemic
Anger
Social Policies
Emotions
Social Networks
title The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
title_full The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
title_fullStr The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
title_full_unstemmed The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
title_short The implementation of social policies in a pandemic context: an analysis of anger
title_sort implementation of social policies in a pandemic context an analysis of anger
topic Pandemic
Anger
Social Policies
Emotions
Social Networks
url http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1724
work_keys_str_mv AT andreadettano theimplementationofsocialpoliciesinapandemiccontextananalysisofanger
AT rebecacena theimplementationofsocialpoliciesinapandemiccontextananalysisofanger
AT andreadettano implementationofsocialpoliciesinapandemiccontextananalysisofanger
AT rebecacena implementationofsocialpoliciesinapandemiccontextananalysisofanger