Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101515
Title: I am because we are : solidarity in times of threat
Authors: Psaila, Claudia
Keywords: COVID-19 (Disease) -- Social aspects
Solidarity -- Social aspects
Self-preservation
Civilization
Threats
Issue Date: 2020
Publisher: Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP)
Citation: Psaila, C. (2020). I am because we are: solidarity in times of threat. Malta Chamber of Psychologists. Retrieved from https://www.mcp.org.mt/i-am-because-we-are-solidarity-in-times-of-threat/
Abstract: When asked what she believed was the first sign of civilisation, the anthropologist Margaret Mead explained that it was when an old femur was found on an archaeological site about 15 000 years ago. Why did she choose this example? Evidence suggested that this femur had been fractured yet had healed. This was a sign that the person with the broken leg was not left to their own devices; had they been so, they would not have survived. They would have been attacked or eaten by wild animals. Instead, they were cared for by at least one other person. They were not left behind: the ‘vulnerable’ were cared for and carried, whether literally or metaphorically, by the strong. These challenging times are shining a spotlight on how we treat one another and most particularly, how we treat persons who are vulnerable. We are living in a time where we all feel under threat because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our health, financial stability, employment, economy and much of what we have taken for granted and hold dear are suddenly at risk. Such a threat, especially because it is prolonged, unprecedented and shared by so many of us, is creating stress and anxiety in many, including in people who do not normally experience these states. In psychological terms, our response to stress is that of ‘fight or flight’. Stress may elicit feelings such as intense anxiety or aggression that may form the basis of our behavioural reactions. During such times, we also tend to think more negatively such that our perceptions may be influenced by our inherent “negativity bias” which is a sort of built-in internal guard that is always vigilant in case of danger and adversity. We therefore tend to perceive reality through a “threat filter” and view situations as more threatening than they actually are. Furthermore, we may want to try to take control of the situation in an attempt to decrease our stress and gain control over the threatening situation. Consequently, living in this state of hyper-vigilance may mean that we are not necessarily functioning at optimal levels. To function well may therefore require that we intentionally exercise more self-awareness and be more mindful of our automatic thoughts, perceptions, reactions, feelings and behaviours.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101515
Appears in Collections:Scholarly Works - FacSoWSPSW

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