The Pedagogy of the Virus: Solidarity and Mutual Aid in the Post-Epidemic Futures


Abstract


The article explores the effect of the covid-19 epidemic on politics in Iran. It asks how people's organisation and transformative experiences can counter forces and phenomena such as the current epidemic. The article reflects upon the extant and emergent potentialities of the current situation, imagining trajectories from the presence to the coming life in the post-epidemic future. The article is organised in the following sections: firstly, it provides an overview of the unfolding epidemic crisis in Iran to familiarise readers with the existing conditions and structures, including the effect of geopolitical constraints such as US-led sanctions and domestic models of crisis management. It then looks at how crises and health crises in particular destabilise the framework of interaction between power and people, and how this can be remodelled through the technologies of trust (such as vaccines and medical practice) that become essential to the continuation of political and social life. Within this frame, the article analyses how the epidemic produced and continues to shape forms of social organisation and cultural praxis, which originate from the mobilisation of solidarity and mutual help networks. These include an array of categories that have the potential to set the ground for a new sense of community amidst impeding crisis, counterpoising the high-tech, authoritarian vision of grand solutions to the crisis with a low-tech mobilisation and human-centred vision. Finally, the objective is to inquire into the potentialities of a politics of solidarity and hope and its counter-values of demoralisation, fear and desperation. This is what the article elaborates as the 'pedagogy of the virus', a cognitive and practical journey resulting from the concurrence of crises in health/politics, whereby ordinary people learn to (re)enact organisation and community to change everyday life amidst societal and political disruption.

DOI Code: 10.1285/i20356609v14i2p565

Keywords: covid-19; pandemic; solidarity; mutual aid; Iran; Middle East; organisation; pedagogy; ethnography; social theory

References


Afkhami, A.A. (2019), A Modern Contagion: Imperialism and Public Health in Iran’s Age of Cholera, New York: JHU Press.

Agamben, G. (2020), Una voce [Online]. Available: https://www.quodlibet.it/una-voce-giorgio-agamben

Al-Monitor (2020), Iran hard-liners storm shrines closed due to coronavirus [Online]. Available: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/iran-hardliners-storm-shrines-coronavirus-qom-mashhad.html#ixzz6avwyXvNK

Alimardani M., Elswah M. (2020), “Trust, religion, and politics: Coronavirus misinformation in Iran” [Online]. Available: https://meedan.com/reports/trust-religion-and-politics-coronavirus-misinformation-in-iran/

Ameli V. (2020), “Sanctions and Sickness”, New Left Review, 122: 49-57.

Batmangheldj E. (2020), “The photos by @nkazeminava are like scenes out of a @JOSH_BENNY or @NicolasWR movie”. In: @YARBATMAN (ed.). Twitter.

Behdasht (2020), مدل بومی ایران برای ارزیابی کیفیت خدمات بهداشتی دارای 40 شاخص است [Indegenous model for evaluating the quality of health services based on 40 markers]. Available: at: https://behdasht.gov.ir/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%A8%DB%8C-%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-40-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA. Accessed on June 7, 2021.

Behrouzan O. (2011), “An epidemic of meanings: HIV and AIDS in Iran and the significance of history, language and gender” in J. Klot, V. Nguyen (eds.), The Fourth Wave: Violence, Gender, Culture & HIV in the 21st Century, UNESCO, pp. 319-346.

Behrouzan O. (2016), Prozak diaries: Psychiatry and generational memory in Iran, Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Bhoyroo F. (2020), Afghan doctor helps refugees fight COVID-19, one

phone call at a time, UNHCR. Available: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/stories/2020/7/5f155edc4/afghan-doctor-helps-refugees-fight-covid-19-phone-call-time.html [Accessed on May 2, 2021].

Brecht B. (2015), Life of Galileo, London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Brownlee B.J., Ghiabi M. (2021), “The Mythological Machine in the Great Civil War (2001–2021): Oikos and Polis in Nation-Making”, Middle East Critique, online first, 1-22.

Dehqan S., Vanaki F. (2020), “UNHCR: Iran keeps supporting Afghan refugees despite economic pressure”, Iran Daily, September 01, 2020.

Eghtesad Online (2020), روستاها دور از کرونا [Villages far from Corona], Available at https://www.eghtesadonline.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%88%D9%85%DB%8C-30/465210-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7 [Accessed on June 5, 2021].

Fassin D. (2018), Life: A critical user’s manual, London: John Wiley & Sons.

Fedele V. (2021), “The Hirak. The Visual Performance of Diversity in Algerian Protests”, Partecipazione e conflitto, 14(2): 681-701.

Freire P. (2018), Pedagogy of the oppressed, New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Ghiabi M. (2020), “Under the bridge in Tehran: Addiction, poverty and capital”, Ethnography, 21(2): 151-175.

Ghiabi M. (2019), Drugs Politics: Managing Disorder in the Islamic Republic of Iran, London: Cambridge University Press.

Ghiabi M. (2020a), “Coronavirus: How Iran could become guinea pig for herd immunity strategy”, Middle East Eye, March 27, 2020.

Ghiabi M., M. Maarefvand, H. Bahari, Z. Alavi (2018), “Islam and cannabis: Legalisation and religious debate in Iran”, International Journal of Drug Policy, 56(1): 121-127.

Greene J. A., Vargha, D. (2020), “Ends of Epidemics”, In Brands H., Gavin, F. J. (eds.), COVID-19 and World Order: The Future of Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Iran Panorama (2020), “The gathering of people in mourning for Master Shajarian has turned into a demonstration”. YouTube. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omFth_qGBc0 [Accessed on June 5, 2021].

Irib News (2020), گزارش مکتوب ...... مقابله با کرونا جلوه ای از ایثارو همدلی مردم بوشهر [Written report…confronting Corona, an aspect of sacrifice and solidarity from the people of Bushehr]. Available: https://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/2671295/%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A8-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%88%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%87%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%84%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1 [Accessed May 2, 2021].

Irna (2020), تولید روزانه ۳۰۰ ماسک توسط دختران موسسه خیریه همدم مشهد [Production of 300 masks everyday through the girls of the Charity Association Mashhad in Solidarity] Available: https://www.irna.ir/news/83696831/%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%DB%B3%DB%B0%DB%B0-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%DA%A9-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%AF%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B3%D9%87-%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%87%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF [Accessed June 7, 2021].

ISASW (2020a), مداخلات حمایت روانی اجتماعی از راه دور راه اندازی شد [Start of the remote social-psychological interventions], Available: https://swi.ir/%d8%ae%d8%b7%d9%88%d8%b7-%d8%a2%d9%86%d9%84%d8%a7%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%ad%d9%85%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%aa-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c-%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b9%db%8c-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%ad%d9%88%d8%b2/ [Accessed June 6, 2021].

ISASW (2020b) مراقبت از کودکان (کروناویروس), [Protecting children (Coronavirus)]. Available: https://swi.ir/%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%da%a9%d9%88%d8%af%da%a9%d8%a7%d9%86-%da%a9%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%88%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b3/ [Accessed on June 7, 2021].

Je so’ Pazzo Ex-OPG (2019), Manuale del Mutualismo, Berlin: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung.

Jesi F. (1979), Cultura di destra, Roma: Garzanti.

Jesi F. (1989), Mito, Milano: Mondadori.

Khabar Online (2020), افزایش خشونت خانگی علیه زنان و کودکان در قرنطینه [Rise in domestic violence against women and children during quarantine]. Available at https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1371627/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%AE%D8%B4%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B7%DB%8C%D9%86%D9%87 [Accessed on June 6, 2021].

Levi C. (2018), [1946], Paura della libertà, Roma: Neri Pozza Editore.

Majles Showra-Ye Eslami-Ye Iran (2020), درباره مقابله با شیوع ویروس کرونا چگونگی حمایت و مراقبت از معتادین متجاهر در برابر ویروس کرونا [Facing the corona virus, how can we support and protect homeless drug addicts in the response to the phenonmon of the virus corona]. Available at https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/news/show/1494905 [Accessed on June 7, 2021].

Mehr News Agency (2020), “3 Iranian COVID-19 vaccines to receive human test license”, Available: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/166793/3-Iranian-COVID-19-vaccines-to-receive-human-test-license [Accessed on May 5, 2021].

Mohammadi M.R., H. Zarafshan, S.K. Bashi, F. Mohammadi, A. Khaleghi (2020), “The role of public trust and media in the psychological and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic”, Iranian journal of psychiatry, 15(3): 189-204.

Mortazavi N., Hussein M. (2020), “State Department Cut Funding for Controversial “Iran Disinfo” Project — But Kept Working with Its Creators”. The Intercept. Available: https://theintercept.com/2020/09/22/iran-disinfo-trump-state-department/

Moussavi T., B. Sadrizadeh, M. Zahraei, R. Nategh, A. Nadim (2012), “Polio Eradication in Iran (Report)”, Archives of Iranian Medicine, 15(2): 107-109.

Rivetti P. (2017), “Political activism in Iran: strategies for survival, possibilities for resistance and authoritarianism”, Democratization, 24(6): 1178-1194.

Rosenberg C.E. (1989), “What is an epidemic? AIDS in historical perspective”, Daedalus, 118(2): 1-17.

Salehi-Isfahani D. (2020), Iran: The Double Jeopardy of Sanctions and COVID-19 [Online]. The New School. Available: https://www.indiachinainstitute.org/2020/09/19/iran-the-double-jeopardy-of-sanctions-and-covid-19/ [Accessed on May 2, 2021].

Salami I., H. Seddeghi, M. Nikfard (2020), “Access to Health Care Services for Afghan Refugees in Iran in the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, online first, 1-2.

Schwartz K.L., Goelz O. (2020), Going to War with the Coronavirus and Maintaining the State of Resistance in Iran, Available: https://merip.org/2020/09/going-to-war-with-the-coronavirus-and-maintaining-the-state-of-resistance-in-iran/ [Accessed May 2, 2021].

UNHCR (2020), Refugee nurse on the front line against coronavirus in Iran [Online]. Available: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/stories/2020/4/5e8c3ab84/refugee-nurse-line-against-coronavirus-iran.html [Accessed on June 6, 2021].

Vargha D. (2018), Polio across the Iron Curtain: Hungary’s cold war with an epidemic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

VOA News (2020), “Hardline Iranian Shiites Storm Shrines Shut by Coronavirus”, YouTube. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVID5NHOT_g [Accessed on June 7, 2021].

Zapperi, C. (2020), “Coronavirus, Salvini: riapriamo subito le chiese per Pasqua, la scienza non basta”, Corriere della Sera. Available: https://www.corriere.it/politica/20_aprile_04/coronavirus-salvini-riapriamo-subito-chiese-celebrare-pasqua-e1df6fc8-7676-11ea-91b2-6c33b390094b.shtml [Accessed June 5, 2021].


Full Text: PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.
کاغذ a4
Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 3.0 Italia License.