Although threat has been always a part of human existence, a systematic scientific attempt to study its various forms in relation to society is a rather recent development. After the Second World War the term risk became an important issue in the natural sciences and public discourse. Consequently, it was discussed in the social sciences and humanities, where all concepts of threat had in common the principle that its causes and consequences are represented through social processes. The paper aims to overview the main theoretical notions of threat and the empirical research on the related topics in Slovak ethnology. In the first part of the paper the author offers a brief overview of the ideas which have emerged in sociology and socio-cultural anthropology since the 1960s, with the central notions of risk and danger. The second part of the paper brings an outline of empirical studies in Slovak ethnology and related disciplines. They indicate the social processes which are perceived as threats in Slovak society.
The study provides an ethnographic probe into the lives of the members of the PCR test team during the pandemic of COVID-19. The aim is to show the use of humour as a communication strategy in times of crisis from the perspective of symbolic anthropology and ethnography of communication, especially theories of danger and joke. The approach of state health institutions have often failed to meet the needs of society, affecting patients’ access to information, the treatment of diseases or the identification of positive patients. Humour helped to prevent the conflicts, signalled forgiveness and influenced attitudes towards adherence to the rules. We focus on interpersonal and interactional aspects of communication, social identification of the respondents, as well as the influence of political culture. Coping strategies are followed through: (1) representations of dirt and the boundaries of the body, (2) the re-contextualization of the statements and acts, (3) the boundaries of the joke in relation to feelings of safety, and (4) the subversive effect of humour and flirtation in a time of the disciplining of bodies. The study demonstrates how laughter bridges the gap resulting from the conflicting informational inputs. The re-contextualisation of the teams’ motto: Corona does not exist! is interpreted in its socio-pragmatic dimension.
The aim of this study is to describe how the work organization of midwives is related to their moral judgements concerning pregnant women. This analysis is based on material gathered during ethnographic research undertaken at a gynaecology and maternity ward at a hospital in Slovakia. The interpretations of the research findings are informed by the work of Mary Douglas and Moral Foundations Theory. Using the analytical tools of the grid-group, this article then shows that the working environment of midwives is a type of hierarchical group. Douglas predicted that such a type of social structure would be built on values such as subordination, respect for authority, and purity. An analysis of the material confirms this assertion: midwives’ narratives of pregnant women are in fact representations of moral values of authority and purity. Explicit statements of emotions of anger, contempt, disgust, and elevation serve as indicators of either the violation or observance of moral rules.
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