Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public groups mobilised themselves in civil-society engagement practices (CSEPs) aiming to improve or suggest alternative epidemic management. This study explores the motivation to establish CSEPs and their perceived contributions to epidemic management, to gain insight...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2023-08-01
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| Series: | BMJ Global Health |
| Online Access: | https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/8/e012875.full |
| _version_ | 1797729835894702080 |
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| author | Sophie Kemper Aura Timen Renate van den Broek Sarah van Hameren J Frank H Kupper Marloes E J Bongers Esther de Weger Marion de Vries |
| author_facet | Sophie Kemper Aura Timen Renate van den Broek Sarah van Hameren J Frank H Kupper Marloes E J Bongers Esther de Weger Marion de Vries |
| author_sort | Sophie Kemper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the COVID-19 pandemic, public groups mobilised themselves in civil-society engagement practices (CSEPs) aiming to improve or suggest alternative epidemic management. This study explores the motivation to establish CSEPs and their perceived contributions to epidemic management, to gain insight whether integrating views of CSEPs could add value. A systematic online search was executed to identify CSEPs focused on COVID-19 management between January 2020 and January 2022 in the Netherlands. In order to create a comprehensible overview of the identified CSEPs, relevant characteristics were gathered and mapped, for example, local or national scope, subject of action and goals. A selection of CSEPs was interviewed between April and June 2022 to study their motivators to start the CSEPs and perceived contributions to management. The search resulted in the identification of 22 CSEPs, of which members of 14 CSEPs were interviewed. These members indicated several issues that motivated the start of their CSEP, namely; shortage of equipment, sense of solidarity, and a perceived lack of governmental action, lack of democratic values and lack in diversity of perspectives in epidemic management. All respondents believed to have contributed to policy or society, by influencing opinions, and occasionally by altering policy. However, respondents encountered obstacles in their attempts to contribute such as inability to establish contact with authorities, feeling unheard or undermined, and complications due to the interplay of political interests. In conclusion, CSEPs have fulfilled various roles such as providing alternative management policies, producing equipment, representing the needs of vulnerable populations, and supporting citizens and providing citizens with other viewpoints and information. The identified motivators to establish CSEPs in this study uncover room for improvements in policy. These insights, together with the identified perceived barriers of CSEPs, can be used to improve the connection between (future) epidemic management and public priorities and interests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:35:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6449f45840024d8cb6a82a73ca2e59f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-7908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:35:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Global Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6449f45840024d8cb6a82a73ca2e59f32023-09-01T05:35:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082023-08-018810.1136/bmjgh-2023-012875Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the NetherlandsSophie Kemper0Aura Timen1Renate van den Broek2Sarah van Hameren3J Frank H Kupper4Marloes E J Bongers5Esther de Weger6Marion de Vries7National Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The NetherlandsAthena Institute, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsNational Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The NetherlandsNational Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The NetherlandsAthena Institute, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsNational Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The NetherlandsAthena Institute, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsNational Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The NetherlandsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, public groups mobilised themselves in civil-society engagement practices (CSEPs) aiming to improve or suggest alternative epidemic management. This study explores the motivation to establish CSEPs and their perceived contributions to epidemic management, to gain insight whether integrating views of CSEPs could add value. A systematic online search was executed to identify CSEPs focused on COVID-19 management between January 2020 and January 2022 in the Netherlands. In order to create a comprehensible overview of the identified CSEPs, relevant characteristics were gathered and mapped, for example, local or national scope, subject of action and goals. A selection of CSEPs was interviewed between April and June 2022 to study their motivators to start the CSEPs and perceived contributions to management. The search resulted in the identification of 22 CSEPs, of which members of 14 CSEPs were interviewed. These members indicated several issues that motivated the start of their CSEP, namely; shortage of equipment, sense of solidarity, and a perceived lack of governmental action, lack of democratic values and lack in diversity of perspectives in epidemic management. All respondents believed to have contributed to policy or society, by influencing opinions, and occasionally by altering policy. However, respondents encountered obstacles in their attempts to contribute such as inability to establish contact with authorities, feeling unheard or undermined, and complications due to the interplay of political interests. In conclusion, CSEPs have fulfilled various roles such as providing alternative management policies, producing equipment, representing the needs of vulnerable populations, and supporting citizens and providing citizens with other viewpoints and information. The identified motivators to establish CSEPs in this study uncover room for improvements in policy. These insights, together with the identified perceived barriers of CSEPs, can be used to improve the connection between (future) epidemic management and public priorities and interests.https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/8/e012875.full |
| spellingShingle | Sophie Kemper Aura Timen Renate van den Broek Sarah van Hameren J Frank H Kupper Marloes E J Bongers Esther de Weger Marion de Vries Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands BMJ Global Health |
| title | Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands |
| title_full | Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands |
| title_fullStr | Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands |
| title_short | Voices of society: the emergence of civil-society practices aiming to engage in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands |
| title_sort | voices of society the emergence of civil society practices aiming to engage in the management of the covid 19 pandemic in the netherlands |
| url | https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/8/e012875.full |
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