COVID-19 and Inequality - Survey Program
A large-scale survey project on relations between inequality and the corona crisis by the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality"
Project Description
Background
The Corona pandemic posed historical challenges to many countries. At first, the crisis saw medicinal and epidemiological aspects given most of the spotlight, but slowly political, social and economic questions have captured more attention. Most pertinently, fears have been voiced that the Corona pandemic might have reinforced inequalities in many ways.
Aims and Central Research Questions
To develop a better understanding of how people in Germany handle the social and political consequences of the Corona crisis, the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" has installed a surveys program with the participation of researchers from several different departments and disciplines at the University of Konstanz (Sociology, Political Science, Economics and Psychology).
The surveys focus on the social and political consequences of the coronavirus crisis and cover multiple topics, such as the perceived individual and social consequences of the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it, trust in health and social policy and the welfare state, support for government aid given to businesses, gender inequalities, questions of solidarity within the EU, opinions on the "Corona app", on debates about loosening the emergency measures, and on perceived infection risks in the working place.
Methods
The survey program took the form of several online panels taken during April-June 2020, with over 8,000 participants. A second wave of 7,000 interviews was collected in October-November 2020 and features a panel setting. In May 2021, we conducted a third survey wave with more than 6,000 participants.
The surveys combine the latest research about the highly unusual pandemic-induced situation with a wider range of interdisciplinary questions that are at the core of the Cluster's long-term agenda.
Literature
Academic Publications
Bellani, Luna, Bertogg, Ariane, Kulic, Nevena, & Strauß, Susanne. 2024. "Does raising awareness about inequality decrease support for school closures? An information treatment survey experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic." Genus, 80(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10/gt55df
Heermann, Max, Leuffen, Dirk, & Tigges, Fabian. 2023. Change to stay the same? German European preference formation during the COVID-19 crisis. German Politics, 33(2), 411–433. https://doi.org/10/gt559c
Heermann, Max, Koos, Sebastian, & Leuffen, Dirk. 2023. Who deserves European solidarity?: How recipient characteristics shaped public support for international medical and financial aid during Covid-19. British Journal of Political Science, 53(2), 629–651. https://doi.org/10/gt559b
Busemeyer, Marius R. 2023. “Financing the Welfare State in Times of Extreme Crisis : Public Support for Health Care Spending during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Germany.” Journal of European Public Policy 30 (1): 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2021.1977375.
Bertogg, Ariane, Nevena Kulic, and Susanne Strauss. 2022. “Protected through Part-Time Employment? Labor Market Status, Domestic Responsibilities, and the Life Satisfaction of German Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 29 (4): 1236–60. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxab048.
Bertogg, Ariane, and Sebastian Koos. 2022. “Who Received Informal Social Support during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany, and Who Did Not? The Role of Social Networks, Life Course and Pandemic-Specific Risks.” Social Indicators Research 163 (2): 585–607. https://doi.org/10/gt55dm.
Busemeyer, Marius R. 2022. “The Welfare State in Really Hard Times: Political Trust and Satisfaction with the German Healthcare System during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of European Social Policy 32 (4): 393–406. https://doi.org/10/gt55d8.
Schmelz, Katrin, and Samuel Bowles. 2022. “Opposition to Voluntary and Mandated COVID-19 Vaccination as a Dynamic Process: Evidence and Policy Implications of Changing Beliefs.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (13): e2118721119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2118721119.
Bertogg, Ariane, and Sebastian Koos. 2021. “Socio-Economic Position and Local Solidarity in Times of Crisis : The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Emergence of Informal Helping Arrangements in Germany.” Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 74:100612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2021.100612.
Busemeyer, Marius R., Claudia Diehl, Luna Bellani, Sebastian Koos, Katrin Schmelz, Peter Selb, and Thomas Hinz. 2021. “COVID-19 and Social Inequality - A (wave 2).” GESIS Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.7802/2334.
Busemeyer, Marius R., Claudia Diehl, Luna Bellani, Sebastian Koos, Katrin Schmelz, Peter Selb, and Thomas Hinz. 2021. “COVID-19 and Social Inequality - B (wave 2).” GESIS Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.7802/2335.
Diehl, Claudia, and Felix Wolter. 2021. “Attitudes about Containment Measures during the 2020/2021 Coronavirus Pandemic: Self-Interest, or Broader Political Orientations?” Research & Politics 8 (3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20531680211035319.
Kulic, Nevena, Giulia M. Dotti Sani, Susanne Strauss, and Luna Bellani. 2021. “Economic Disturbances in the COVID-19 Crisis and Their Gendered Impact on Unpaid Activities in Germany and Italy.” European Societies 23 (S1): S400–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1828974.
Schmelz, Katrin. 2021. “Enforcement May Crowd out Voluntary Support for COVID-19 Policies, Especially Where Trust in Government Is Weak and in a Liberal Society.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) 118 (1): e2016385118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2016385118.
Schmelz, Katrin, and Samuel Bowles. 2021. “Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccination Resistance When Alternative Policies Affect the Dynamics of Conformism, Social Norms, and Crowding Out.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118 (25): e2104912118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2104912118.
Busemeyer, Marius R., Claudia Diehl, Luna Bellani, Sebastian Koos, Katrin Schmelz, Peter Selb, and Thomas Hinz. 2020. “COVID-19 and Social Inequality - April 2020.” GESIS Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.7802/2116.
Busemeyer, Marius R., Claudia Diehl, Sebastian Koos, Katrin Schmelz, Peter Selb, and Thomas Hinz. 2020. “COVID-19 and Social Inequality - May 2020.” GESIS Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.7802/2118.
Munzert, Simon, and Peter Selb. 2020. “Can We Directly Survey Adherence to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions? Evidence from a List Experiment Conducted in Germany during the Early Corona Pandemic.” Survey Research Methods 14 (2): 205–9. https://doi.org/10.18148/srm/2020.v14i2.7759.
Kulic, Nevena, Giulia M. Dotti Sani, Susanne Strauss, and Luna Bellani. 2020. "Economic disturbances in the COVID-19 crisis and their gendered impact on unpaid activities in Germany and Italy." European Societies 23: S400-S416. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1828974
In_equality Magazine
The first issue of In_equality Magazine was published under the title "COVID-19 and Inequality". It goes into many aspects of the coronavirus crisis and how it has impacted social inequality. The magazine can be read and downloaded here.
Policy Papers
Under the title "COVID-19 and Inequality – Arguments and Findings", we are publishing survey results as Policy Papers.
Ariane Bertogg, Marius R. Busemeyer, Claudia Diehl, Nevena Kulić, Susanne Strauß, Thomas Wöhler, Felix Wolter (2021): Vertrauen. Impfzugang. Radikalisierung. Unzufriedenheit. Wo die Coronakrise die Gesellschaft ungleicher macht. Policy Papers 07: COVID-19 und soziale Ungleichheit – Thesen und Befunde 06. 29. Juli 2021. (German only)
-> Download the Policy Paper
David Dohmen, Katrin Schmelz (2021): Data protection during the COVID-19 crisis: Focusing in on autonomy and trust. Policy Paper 05: COVID-19 and Inequality. Arguments and Findings. Mai 11th 2021.
-> Download the Policy Paper
Marius R. Busemeyer (2020): Source of healing or bone of contention? Trust in the German healthcare system during the coronavirus crisis. Policy Paper 04: COVID-19 and Inequality – Arguments and Findings. 15 September 2020.
-> Download the Policy Paper
Claudia Diehl, Felix Wolter (2020): Raus aus dem Lockdown? Warum es manchen zu schnell und anderen nicht schnell genug geht. Policy Paper 03: COVID-19 und soziale Ungleichheit – Thesen und Befunde. 23. Juli 2020.
-> Download the Policy Paper
Florian Kunze, Kilian Hampel, Sophia Zimmermann (2020): Homeoffice in der Corona-Krise – eine nachhaltige Transformation der Arbeitswelt?. Policy Paper 02: COVID-19 und soziale Ungleichheit – Thesen und Befunde. 16. Juli 2020.
-> Download the Policy Paper
Sebastian Koos, Dirk Leuffen (2020): Beds or bonds? Conditional solidarity in the coronavirus crisis. Policy Paper 01: COVID -19 and Inequality – Arguments and Findings. 01 July 2020.
-> Download the Policy Paper
Other Publications
"Deservingness’ and the recovery fund", Social Europe (30 July 2020) Blog post by Dirk Leuffen and Sebastian Koos.
Sebastian Koos: "Die 'Querdenker'. Wer nimmt an Corona-Protesten teil und warum?" (18 January 2021) a Research report by Sebastian Koos.
Fact Sheets of the "Konstanzer Homeoffice- Studie", led by Florian Kunze.
"Self-interest or political conviction? Explaining attitudes towards COVID-19 Restrictions" Claudia Diehl and Felix Wolter in a Podcast.