ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the theoretical background of the study. The study assumes that, beyond the epidemiological aspects of COVID-19, there is also a social construction dimension of the pandemic to consider. Whatever else it may be, the COVID-19 pandemic is a socially constructed event. This means that it is important to recognize the relationship between the micro (individual) level and the macro (societal) level in this crisis, along with the fact that these two levels influence each other in determining distinctive behavioral patterns, such as the preference for one policy over another and the willingness to adopt a specific protective behavior. Assuming that the reality is socially constructed presupposes that people hold each other accountable for preserving a shared understanding of the reality and of themselves. In return, people can go about their lives in a state of ontological security. Ontological security is based on the maintenance of routines; therefore, change occurs when people feel ontologically insecure, in proportion to the degree of ontological insecurity felt. Risk communication is a crucial component of any modern emergency management system. However, contrary to popular belief, communicating risks to the population and modifying their behavior is not an automatic result of issuing a warning. Risk communication is a multifactorial and multistage process. The literature on disaster science and the sociology of disaster primarily focuses on two risk-communication models: (1) the Mileti and Sorensen model, and (2) the Protective Action Decision Making (PADM) model. In this study, the concept of ontological (in)security is added to the Protective Action Decision Making (PADM) model to explain what motivates people to change their behaviors and social practices.
