‘Where are the graves of coronavirus victims?' Beliefs,conspiracy theories and representations of COVID-19 in Africa  

作　　者：Bankole Adebayo Falade 

机构地区：[1]Stellenbosch University,RW Wilcocks Building,Stellenbosch 7600,South Africa

出　　处：《Cultures of Science》2022年第4期192-209,共18页科学文化(英文)

基　　金：support of a grant from Templeton Religion Trust,awarded via the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society (INSBS)

摘　　要：The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected everyday life in Africa, a continent that is known for its high levels of religious belief. Using a corpus of news articles and the social representations research paradigm,this study examines African understandings of the pandemic. It uses installation theory, the wind rose model and the accommodation hypothesis to explore the coexistence between science and belief. The accommodation hypothesis demonstrates that the representations were hierarchical, to elevate God above science.Faith leaders also used the pandemic to enhance faith by blaming sin and urging repentance or blaming science by espousing conspiracy theories about the pandemic being a grand design to draw believers away from God. This paper highlights the great disparity in experience between Africa and the West, initially fuelling conspiracy theories. The findings also reinforce two key conceptual approaches: installation theory on the influence of rules imposed by society on behaviour, and the wind rose model in which representations change over time and in response to social interactions.

关 键 词：COVID-19 social representations health communication science communication cognitive polyphasia accommodation hypothesis religious beliefs wind rose model installation theory 

分 类 号：D74[政治法律—政治学] R511[政治法律—中外政治制度]