FEATURES OF THE BODILY EXPERIENCE OF THE PANDEMIC EXPERIENCED BY ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN ST. PETERSBURG AND PETROZAVODSK

Abstract

Elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic found themselves in a situation of personal insecurity associated with problems of medical care, as well as various difficulties with the treatment of chronic diseases.  The forced isolation of elderly people caused deterioration of their health – both psychological and physiological, caused difficulties with the manifestation of their activity. The study uses a phenomenological approach, which aims to demonstrate how the bodily sensations of the pandemic of older people change, transform the features of their lives, the specifics of the perception of coronavirus restrictions. The empirical material for the article was interviews with elderly people, which were collected in St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk. The study examines two key contexts: the context of disciplining bodies in urban spaces defined by the pandemic, and the context of the logic of receiving medical care and caring for elderly people about themselves. The main conclusion of the study is the identification of various fears of the elderly, which are associated with isolation and new discipline of the bodies, as well as due to the fact that the old logic of receiving care and medical care ceases to work.