Coronavirus, class and mutual aid in the United Kingdom

This seminar will introduce the forthcoming book. It considers the COVID-19 pandemic through a case study of how the United Kingdom government prepared the population in the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. The framework is a critical analysis, influenced by Marxism, Anarchism, class theory, social movement analysis and critical analysis of preparedness. The argument is that capitalism creates and maintains capital at a multitude of scales, including the viral, and that COVID-19, and its material and discursive consequences, are an active part of continuing class struggle and class interpolation. The UK’s behavioural science COM-B model, and plans for quarantine, are analysed as classed practices. 

We also look at alternatives to neo-liberal methods of dealing with the pandemic by either marketisation, disaster capitalism or a strengthening of the State. Alternatives around social movements and mutual aid are suggested from an anarchist perspective. Although these are always subject to co-option by state authorities, we suggest new ways forward for mutual aid in the current pandemic crisis. 

This seminar will be chaired by Dr Darren Thiel.

This seminar is part of an online open seminar series, hosted by the Centre for Criminology. 

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