In the recent epidemic, it has often been highlighted how the Coronavirus constitutes a specific threat especially for the elderly, presuming a lower risk for the youngest, spreading a simplification of communication improperly in a contrast between "young" and "old", both denying the transversality of the danger, both by reproducing a cultural model contrary to a more desirable intergenerational solidarity. The contribution aims to reconstruct the processes of construction and social amplification of the COVID-19 risk for the elderly, examining these phenomena in the light of Luhmann's constructivist approach. In this way, we want to observe the process of systemic "internalization" of the threat of COVID 19, converted into risk by decision-makers, in a collective criticality conditioned by complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity. In this scenario, differentiated and antithetical situations have arisen: on the one hand, the social amplification of risk, which represented the elderly as a single totally exposed category, without considering the diversity of resources and conditions; on the other hand, the concealment and belated attention to the critical situation of the nursing homes, where COVID has long been wreaking havoc among the most fragile and vulnerable elderly. Similar processes of construction and social amplification of risk have reaffirmed an alleged etiological link between COVID-19 and old age. This assumption of causality, aimed at defining a homogeneous exposure to risk for the entire senior population, is still the basis of pressure towards "safe" isolation and the limitation of contacts according to the canons of "benevolent" ageism. The epidemiological evidence also shows how the highest lethality has to date concentrated above all among fragile subjects, suffering from multiple comorbidities and, not infrequently, isolated and socially vulnerable, as tragically described by the situation in RSAs. However, not all elderly people are frail, lonely, and vulnerable, just as the frailty of health is a condition across all age groups, increasing coronavirus risks even for younger people. With these premises, the contribution rereads the epidemiological data on infections and deaths according to probabilistic models (by means of binary logistic regression), retrospectively evaluating the actual risk of exposure to the virus based on differences in age, residence, and health conditions, especially if of fragility. We thus want to reflect on the socio-structural latency of cultural stereotypes capable of generating forms of discrimination and inequality for the elderly generations, denying the importance of their role in family and intergenerational relationships and the fundamental contribution offered by seniors to the community through the care of minors and the sick, active involvement in voluntary work, social and cultural activities, and, not infrequently, presence in economic activities and paid work. In this sense, the reflection produced wants to offer ideas for constructively rethinking the social role of the elderly also, and above all, in view of possible epidemic recrudescences.
Nella recente epidemia si è spesso evidenziato come il Coronavirus costituisca una minaccia specifica soprattutto per gli anziani, presumendo un minor rischio per i più giovani, diffondendo una semplificazione comunicativa impropriamente in una contrapposizione tra “giovani” e “vecchi”, sia negando la trasversalità del pericolo, sia riproducendo un modello culturale contrario a una più auspicabile solidarietà intergenerazionale. Il contributo mira a ricostruire i processi di costruzione e di amplificazione sociale del rischio COVID-19 per gli anziani, esaminando tali fenomeni alla luce dell’approccio costruttivista di Luhmann. In questo modo si vuole osservare il processo di “internalizzazione” sistemica della minaccia del COVID 19, convertito in rischio da parte dei decision maker, in una criticità collettiva condizionata da complessità, incertezza e ambiguità. In tale scenario si sono realizzate situazioni differenziate e antitetiche: da un lato, l’amplificazione sociale del rischio, che rappresentava gli anziani come un’unica categoria totalmente esposta, senza considerare diversità di risorse e condizioni; dall’altro, l’occultamento e la tardiva attenzione verso la critica situazione delle RSA, dove il COVID stava da tempo facendo strage tra gli anziani più fragili e vulnerabili. Simili processi di costruzione e amplificazione sociale del rischio hanno ribadito un presunto nesso eziologico tra il COVID-19 e l’età avanzata. Tale assunzione di causalità, volta a definire un’omogenea esposizione al rischio per l’intera popolazione senior, è tutt’oggi alla base di una pressione all’isolamento "sicuro" e alla limitazione dei contatti secondo i canoni di un ageismo "benevolo". Le evidenze epidemiologiche mostrano, altresì, come la più alta letalità si sia a oggi concentrata soprattutto tra i soggetti fragili, affetti da più comorbidità e, non di rado, isolati e socialmente vulnerabili, come tragicamente descritto proprio dalla situazione nelle RSA. Tuttavia, non tutte le persone anziane sono fragili, sole e vulnerabili, così come la fragilità di salute è condizione trasversale a ogni fascia d'età, aumentando i rischi da coronavirus anche per soggetti più giovani. Con tali premesse, il contributo rilegge i dati epidemiologici sui contagi e i decessi secondo modelli probabilistici (per mezzo di regressione logistica binaria), valutando in ottica retrospettiva il rischio effettivo di esposizione al virus in base alle differenze di età, residenza e condizioni di salute, specie se di fragilità. Si vuole così riflettere sulla latenza socio- strutturale degli stereotipi culturali atti a generare forme di discriminazione e disuguaglianza per le generazioni anziane, negando l’importanza del loro ruolo nelle relazioni familiari e intergenerazionali e il fondamentale contributo offerto dai senior alla collettività attraverso la cura dei minori e dei malati, il coinvolgimento attivo nel volontariato, nelle attività sociali e culturali, e, non di rado, la presenza nelle attività economiche e nel lavoro retribuito. In questo senso, la riflessione prodotta vuole offrire spunti per ripensare costruttivamente il ruolo sociale degli anziani anche, e soprattutto, in vista di possibili recrudescenze epidemiche.
IL COVID-19 e gli anziani: la costruzione sociale del rischio tra rappresentazioni improprie e deresponsabilizzazione
STEFANO POLI
2021-01-01
Abstract
In the recent epidemic, it has often been highlighted how the Coronavirus constitutes a specific threat especially for the elderly, presuming a lower risk for the youngest, spreading a simplification of communication improperly in a contrast between "young" and "old", both denying the transversality of the danger, both by reproducing a cultural model contrary to a more desirable intergenerational solidarity. The contribution aims to reconstruct the processes of construction and social amplification of the COVID-19 risk for the elderly, examining these phenomena in the light of Luhmann's constructivist approach. In this way, we want to observe the process of systemic "internalization" of the threat of COVID 19, converted into risk by decision-makers, in a collective criticality conditioned by complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity. In this scenario, differentiated and antithetical situations have arisen: on the one hand, the social amplification of risk, which represented the elderly as a single totally exposed category, without considering the diversity of resources and conditions; on the other hand, the concealment and belated attention to the critical situation of the nursing homes, where COVID has long been wreaking havoc among the most fragile and vulnerable elderly. Similar processes of construction and social amplification of risk have reaffirmed an alleged etiological link between COVID-19 and old age. This assumption of causality, aimed at defining a homogeneous exposure to risk for the entire senior population, is still the basis of pressure towards "safe" isolation and the limitation of contacts according to the canons of "benevolent" ageism. The epidemiological evidence also shows how the highest lethality has to date concentrated above all among fragile subjects, suffering from multiple comorbidities and, not infrequently, isolated and socially vulnerable, as tragically described by the situation in RSAs. However, not all elderly people are frail, lonely, and vulnerable, just as the frailty of health is a condition across all age groups, increasing coronavirus risks even for younger people. With these premises, the contribution rereads the epidemiological data on infections and deaths according to probabilistic models (by means of binary logistic regression), retrospectively evaluating the actual risk of exposure to the virus based on differences in age, residence, and health conditions, especially if of fragility. We thus want to reflect on the socio-structural latency of cultural stereotypes capable of generating forms of discrimination and inequality for the elderly generations, denying the importance of their role in family and intergenerational relationships and the fundamental contribution offered by seniors to the community through the care of minors and the sick, active involvement in voluntary work, social and cultural activities, and, not infrequently, presence in economic activities and paid work. In this sense, the reflection produced wants to offer ideas for constructively rethinking the social role of the elderly also, and above all, in view of possible epidemic recrudescences.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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