Olivia Medical Anthropology

We live in a world where the majority of society looks up to political leaders and government officials for guidance. After Covid-19 was in full swing and was a popular subject matter that government officials were forced to handle, an ample amount of pressure was put on them to make the right decisions. Not everyone can be pleased, and as long as we are in a country where it’s up to those who we elect to make decisions, these circumstances will remain unchanged. Whether it be due political party affiliation or not, political leaders get backlash on their decision-making, especially during the recent pandemic. This perspective is backed up by a journal entry below, which reiterates and emphasizes the intimidation of what making a faulty decision can do.

“Political leaders and managers are under enormous pressure as they must decide what to keep open, what to close, what workers to keep, and who and when to retrench. The fear and panic come less from the risk of infection and more from the growing reality of its fall out.”

Lenore Manderson & Susan Levine (2020) COVID-19, Risk, Fear, and Fall-out, Medical Anthropology, 39:5, 367-370, DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2020.1746301