ABSTRACT
The period of pandemic that has affected humanity has caused numerous changes at political, economic and social levels. In particular, the lockdown experienced by millions of people has led to an unprecedented situation on the relational level due to restrictions and limits on mobility.
What happened to our relationships during the periods of social distancing? Have we really withdrawn into ourselves or have we perhaps activated more ways to connect with others?
To explore these questions, scientific analytical instruments were used with a sociological theoretical and methodological framework linked to the concept of “social love” translated in indicators capable of empirically observing what happened during the first months of the 2020 lockdown in Italy.
Together with the study on social love, some elements concerning social love and the perception of health as a public good were analyzed.
Despite the limitations imposed on relationships by the lockdown restrictions, Italians have experienced forms of social love characterized by openness and a willingness to maintain and develop new social bonds. These results therefore demonstrate that the forms of social love reside in profound attitudes which, in the face of particularly critical situations, provoke altruistic behaviors and social love, helping to generate new social bonds.
