Ebola separations: trust, crisis, and ‘social distancing’ in West Africa

Brown, Hannah; Marí Sáez, Almudena

doi:10.1111/1467-9655.13426

Ebola separations: trust, crisis, and ‘social distancing’ in West Africa

Brown, Hannah; Marí Sáez, Almudena

Authors

Professor Hannah Brown hannah.brown@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Almudena Marí Sáez

Abstract

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa involved the introduction of new forms of social and physical separation that aimed to curtail the spread of the disease. People changed the ways they lived to avoid contact with those who might be sick. A suite of governmental instruments was introduced, ranging from by‐laws and public health campaigns to the use of specialist treatment centres and military force. These events transformed social connections and affected possibilities for trust in intimate, governmental, and therapeutic relations. Drawing upon fieldwork in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, this article explores these forms of separation and social distance ethnographically, with a focus on material objects, touch, and spaces of separation. In doing so, we contribute to discussions on the constitution of trust and distance within social relations, and the ways in which separation can enable certain kinds of closeness. Our analysis offers insights for those seeking to understand the impact of the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic on the ways that people relate to, and care for, others.

Citation

Brown, H., & Marí Sáez, A. (2021). Ebola separations: trust, crisis, and ‘social distancing’ in West Africa. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 27(1), 9-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.13426

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication Date	Feb 12, 2021
Deposit Date	Jan 6, 2021
Publicly Available Date	Jan 18, 2021
Journal	Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
Print ISSN	1359-0987
Electronic ISSN	1467-9655
Publisher	Wiley
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	27
Issue	1
Pages	9-29
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.13426

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Advance online version. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Anthropological Institute

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