The "Eye of the Hurricane" Paradox: An Unexpected and Unequal Rise of Well-Being During the Covid-19 Lockdown in France. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Recchi, Ettore; Ferragina, Emanuele; Helmeid, Emily; Pauly, Stefan; Safi, Mirna; Sauger, Nicolas; Schradie, Jen
• Is Part Of: Research in social stratification and mobility. Volume 68(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Covid-19 -- Well-being -- Health -- Stress -- Inequality; Social mobility -- Periodicals; Occupational mobility -- Periodicals; Social status -- Periodicals; Social conflict -- Periodicals; Social classes -- Periodicals; Mobilité sociale -- Périodiques; Mobilité professionnelle -- Périodiques; Statut social -- Périodiques; Conflits sociaux -- Périodiques; Classes sociales -- Périodiques; 305.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100508
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0276-5624

Abstract

Abstract: Panel data covering the French population before and after the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic reveal that self-reported health and well-being have improved during the lockdown in comparison to previous years. We name this counterintuitive phenomenon the "eye of the hurricane" paradox: the large majority of individuals who are not infected by the virus may be seeing their current condition in a more positive light than they normally would. There are, however, divergences across social groups that reflect socioeconomic inequalities. In particular, blue-collar workers deviate from the prevailing trend as their level of self-reported health declines over the lockdown period, Parisian residents experience a sudden drop in their subjective well-being, and people working long hours at home exhibit higher levels of stress during the quarantine.