Table Of ContentPsychological Insights for
Understanding COVID-19
and Society
In the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series, international
experts introduce important themes in psychological science that engage with
people’s unprecedented experience of the pandemic, drawing together chapters as
they originally appeared before COVID-19 descended on the world.
This book explores how COVID-19 has impacted society, and chapters examine
a range of societal issues including leadership and politics, community, social
status, welfare, social exclusion and accountability. Addressing the social and
psychological processes that structure, and are structured by, our social contexts,
it shows not only how groups and individuals can come together to manage global
crises, but also how these crises can expose weaknesses in our society. The volume
also reflects on how we can work together to rebuild society in the aftermath of
the pandemic, by cultivating a shared sense of responsibility through social
integration and responsible leadership.
Showcasing theory and research on key topics germane to the global pandemic,
the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series offers thought-
provoking reading for professionals, students, academics and policy makers
concerned with the psychological consequences of COVID-19 for individuals,
families and societies.
S. Alexander Haslam is Professor of Psychology and Australian Laureate Fellow
at the University of Queensland. Alex’s research focuses on the study of group and
identity processes in social, organisational and health contexts. Together with over
250 co-authors around the world, he has written and edited 15 books and published
over 250 peer-reviewed articles on these topics. He is a former editor of the
European Journal of Social Psychology and currently Associate Editor of The
Leadership Quarterly.
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19
The Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series aims to highlight
important themes in psychological science that engage with people’s unprecedented
experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. These short, accessible volumes draw
together chapters as they originally appeared before COVID-19 descended on the
world but demonstrate how researchers and professionals in psychological science
had developed theory and research on key topics germane to the global pandemic.
Each volume includes a specially commissioned, expert introduction that contex-
tualises the chapters in relation to the crisis, reflects on the relevance of psychologi-
cal research during this significant global event, and proposes future research and
vital interventions that elucidate understanding and coping with COVID-19. With
individual volumes exploring society, health, family, work and media, the Psycho-
logical Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series offers thought-provoking
reading for professionals, students, academics and policy makers concerned with
psychological consequences of the pandemic for individuals, families and society.
Titles in the series:
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Families, Parents,
and Children
Marc H. Bornstein
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Media and Technology
Ciarán Mc Mahon
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Society
S. Alexander Haslam
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Work
Cary L. Cooper
Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Health
Dominika Kwasnicka and Robbert Sanderman
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/
Psychological-Insights-for-Understanding-COVID-19/book-series/COVID
Psychological Insights for
Understanding COVID-19
and Society
Edited by S. Alexander Haslam
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 selection and editorial matter, S. Alexander Haslam; individual
chapters, the contributors
The right of S. Alexander Haslam to be identified as the author of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-367-64760-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-64759-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-12612-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Selected chapters are taken
from the following original
Routledge publications
Selma Rudert, Rainer Greifeneder, Kipling Williams, Current Directions in Ostra-
cism, Social Exclusion and Rejection Research, ISBN: 978-0-8153-6813-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-25591-2 (ebk)
Ken J. Rotenberg, The Psychology of Trust, ISBN: 978-1-138-67848-4 (hbk)
978-1-315-55891-2 (ebk)
Barry Richards, The Psychology of Politics, 978-1-138-55167-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-14769-7 (ebk)
Wendy Stainton Rogers, Perspectives on Social Psychology: A Psychology of Human
Being, ISBN: 978-1-138-50132-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-14427-6 (ebk)
Catherine Haslam, Jolanda Jetten, Tegan Cruwys, Genevieve Dingle, S. Alexander
Haslam, The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure, ISBN:
978-1-138-12387-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-64856-9 (ebk)
Carolyn Kagan, Mark Burton, Paul Duckett, Rebecca Lawthom, Asiya Siddiquee,
Critical Community Psychology: Critical Action and Social Change,
ISBN: 978-1-138-36405-9 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-429-43150-0 (ebk)
Polli Hagenaars, Marlena Plavšić, Nora Sveaass, Ulrich Wagner, Tony Wain-
wright, Human Rights Education for Psychologists, ISBN: 978-0-367-22287-1
(hbk) ISBN: 978-0-429-27431-2 (ebk)
Contents
List of contributors ix
Introduction: COVID-19 and society 1
S. ALEXANDER HASLAM
1 Leaders 13
BARRY RICHARDS
From The Psychology of Politics
2 Trust and politics: The Emperor’s not very new clothes 37
KEN J. ROTENBERG
From The Psychology of Trust
3 Community as social ties 45
CAROLYN KAGAN, MARK BURTON, PAUL DUCKETT,
REBECCA LAWTHOM AND ASIYA SIDDIQUEE
From Critical Community Psychology: Critical Action
and Social Change
4 Social status and disadvantage 109
CATHERINE HASLAM, JOLANDA JETTEN, TEGAN CRUWYS,
GENEVIEVE DINGLE AND S. ALEXANDER HASLAM
From The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure
5 Human welfare 143
WENDY STAINTON ROGERS
From Perspectives on Social Psychology: A Psychology of
Human Being
viii Contents
6 Dealing with social exclusion: An analysis of psychological
strategies 188
SUSANNA TIMEO, PAOLO RIVA, AND MARIA PAOLA PALADINO
From Current Directions in Ostracism, Social Exclusion
and Rejection Research
7 Social accountability and action orientation: Strengthening
the policy-making capacity of psychologists 205
ELIZABETH LIRA KORNFELD
From Human Rights Education for Psychologists
Contributors
Mark Burton, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK (visiting position)
Tegan Cruwys, Research School of Psychology, The Australian National Univer-
sity, Australia
Genevieve Dingle, The University of Queensland, Australia
Paul Duckett, Victoria University, Australia
S. Alexander Haslam, The University of Queensland, Australia
Catherine Haslam, The University of Queensland, Australia [email protected]
Jolanda Jetten, The University of Queensland, Australia
Carolyn Kagan, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK [email protected]
Rebecca Lawthom, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Elizabeth Lira, Alberto Hurtado University, Chile [email protected]
Maria Paola Paladino, University of Trento, Italy
Barry Richards, Department of Humanities and Law, Bournemouth University,
UK [email protected]
Paolo Riva, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Ken J. Rottenberg, University of Keele, UK [email protected]
Asiya Siddiquee, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Wendy Stainton Rogers, Faculty of Health and Social Care, The Open University,
UK [email protected]
Susanna Timeo, University of Trento, Italy [email protected]
