With the advent of COVID-19 this year Social Distancing became advocated as a strategy to limit the spread of the virus. I understand the objective while, at the same time, I am disturbed by the term Social Distancing.
Why this term and not something more appropriately meaningful, like Physical Distancing? After all, so much of the strategy is about creating a physical distance and various degrees of physical barrier that reduce the opportunities for the virus to be transmitted from person to person. As I write this I am relieved to see the start of a shift away from advocating Social Distancing to Physical Distancing.
I have a deep respect for words and the meaning they convey. I believe we all should take responsibilty for the meanings we choose to convey and the words we use to convey meaning.
In that context, I want to explore some of why I have a problem with the term Social Distancing.
To me social distancing speaks of psychologically or emotionally distancing ourselves from others. This feels distinctly in conflict with the need of human beings to be psychologially and emotionally connected and, through this, care about each other. I believe, also, that the more we care for each other the more we'll care for the world we all live in.
If we could do away with human constructs like race, religion, politics, status, wealth, fashion sense, accent and so on, what are we left with that could justify creating a psychological distance from others? I can't can't think of anything.
Yet our world is loaded with constructs that create multiple fault lines between people. The more sharply and intensely these constructs are positioned the more emotional distance is created between people, Us and Them, where no distance would otherwise exist.
Once these faults lines come into play they allow space for harm to be perpetrated against Them. This extends to include evils like those expressed in apartheid, at least 1.7 million Gulag deaths during Stalin's rule (Some estimates put this number over 6 million.), up to 20 million killed during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution and many more horrific examples.
I'm advocating that in combating COVID-19 we judiciously apply Physical Distancing as an important strategy while seeking every opportunity to foster Social Closeness. May fostering Social Closeness persist way beyond the time when COVID-19 is a long distant memory.
