New proximities during and after the Covid 19 pandemic

Abstract

Various proximities played a central role in the Covid-19 crisis, whether they promoted the spread of the pandemic, reduced human and social interactions, or allowed for exchange and contact at a distance. But they were also profoundly affected by the pandemic. Geographical proximity became dangerous and deadly, while distance-organized proximity increasingly developed through the use of ICTs. Both were associated with a dramatic rise in social and spatial inequalities. The object of this article is the analysis of how the pandemic reveals and modify both the functioning and the impact of proximities on our lives, from the examination of notions such as social distancing, lockdown or teleworking, and the use of proxemics. We conclude on the difficulty for a society to live at a distance.