title: Lay perceptions of collectives at the outbreak of the H1N1 epidemic: heroes, villains and victims.
abstract: Lay perceptions of collectives (e.g., groups, organizations, countries) implicated in the 2009 H1N1 outbreak were studied. Collectives serve symbolic functions to help laypersons make sense of the uncertainty involved in a disease outbreak. We argue that lay representations are dramatized, featuring characters like heroes, villains and victims. In interviews conducted soon after the outbreak, 47 Swiss respondents discussed the risk posed by H1N1, its origins and effects, and protective measures. Countries were the most frequent collectives mentioned. Poor, underdeveloped countries were depicted as victims, albeit ambivalently, as they were viewed as partly responsible for their own plight. Experts (physicians, researchers) and political and health authorities were depicted as heroes. Two villains emerged: the media (viewed as fear mongering or as a puppet serving powerful interests) and private corporations (e.g., the pharmaceutical industry). Laypersons' framing of disease threat diverges substantially from official perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Département of Psychologie, Université de Fribourg, Switzerland. pascal.wagner@unifr.ch
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagner-Egger
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bangerter
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigaud
authors.forename: Franciska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krings
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Staerklé
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clémence
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D011057:Politics; D011635:Public Health Administration; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012962:Sociology, Medical; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D035501:Uncertainty; D055815:Young Adult