Historian, sociologist, writer, teacher at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi in the history, sociology, anthropology, political science and international cooperation programs and holder of the Canada Research Chair on collective imaginations.
In a previous text published in The duty June 5 and 6, I wondered about the impact the pandemic would have on the state of mind of Quebecers. I wondered, more specifically, what impressions and what lessons they would retain from this tragic episode and how they could translate into their vision of the future of our society as well as into their behavior. To this end, I presented eight possible scenarios, the broad outlines of which I will recall.
1. The shame of our behaviors of overconsumers, of our superficial way of life, will inspire the practice of moderation, humility, frugality, wisdom.
2. The experience of insecurity, isolation, our fragility will “cure” us of our individualism and bring us back to the community spirit.
3. The feeling of a very authoritarian management of the crisis and the oppressive measures will teach us to distrust the State and to better defend our rights, especially our individual freedom.
4. The pandemic has been hyped up and even invented by politicians and so-called experts to better manipulate us. In the future, we will have to be more vigilant to thwart this kind of plot.
5. Our society is experiencing a profound and beneficial break. We have a unique opportunity to change the world, to bring about a renaissance. Let’s listen to the voice of utopia.
6. The pandemic has demonstrated our impotence, it has gutted our illusions. The world goes on without us. We must resign ourselves to it.
7. This pandemic was born from our arrogance, we thought we had subjugated, mastered nature. In fact, we messed it up; she took revenge. It’s a salutary lesson, let’s respect the natural balance.
8. Let’s be realistic. Except for a few logistical adjustments, everything will quickly return to the way it was before. It won’t be worse or better.
I believe it is worth pointing out that these scenarios were not designed arbitrarily. They are based on a survey of media content during the first year of the pandemic, including testimonials and opinions from readers.
After two years of pandemic, do we see more clearly in these scenarios? Some have gained quite a bit of ground. This seems to me to be the case with number 2 (community spirit) and especially with numbers 3 (rights) and 4 (conspiracy). There is also an osmosis between the latter two which brings together unlikely allies, at least theoretically. It’s a surprise.
A combination of scenarios
Another observation: the voice of the dream (and of utopia) is hardly heard anymore. We will see a reflection of the wear, impatience and weariness that everyone can see in the population. A return to realism?
Another important element consists in the type of narrative that will be built around the pandemic and the memory that we will keep of it. Will it be supported by a few great novels, by successful films that will bring tragic, poignant episodes to life and will put heroes and heroines in the saddle? If necessary, one could then conceive that this experience will enter the imagination and remain there for a long time. But that does not tell us how it will translate into values, and in the long run into behaviors.
Finally, it may be that the scenario called upon to prevail is the one that will prove to be the closest to our sensitivity, our temperament as Quebecers, the easiest to graft on our values. We would then see a combination of scenarios 1, 2 and 8. We will see.
All in all, however, what I personally retain and which is not without concern is the share of unconditional recalcitrants that the polls place at around 25%. That’s a lot, and they won’t go away with the virus. They will find accommodation elsewhere. Our society will inevitably lose solidarity and cohesion. It will now be more vulnerable to slippages and more difficult to govern. In this sense, there could well be a before and an after, but very different from what many had wished.