Social Distancing, Physical Distancing and Prison Visiting

Social Distancing, Physical Distancing and Prison Visiting

Recently Jersey made a change of use:

"On 1 May the decision was taken to switch to using the term physical distancing instead of social distancing. This is in line with the World Health Organisation’s guidance. The change has been made to clarify that we want people to be able to enjoy social interaction but while maintaining the 2-metre physical distance."

I'm trying to find that guidance, as annoyingly it is not given. I've just been reading a Covid-19 Virtual Press Conference by WHO on 26 May 2020, and that uses the term "social distancing" throughout, although perhaps confusingly it occasionally says "social and physical distancing". But the reason is clear - we keep a physical distance from complete strangers, but a social distance from family and friends, and even work colleagues.

I have seen reference to that guidance promoted by the government elsewhere, for example:

While “social distancing” is still widely used, it may be sending the wrong message and contributing to social isolation. “Rather than sounding like you have to socially separate from your family and friends, ‘physical distancing’ simplifies the concept with the emphasis on keeping 6 feet away from others,” says Dr. Shahida Fareed, psychologist at Geisinger Grays Woods.

But the UK's new maxim is Staying alert and safe (social distancing), and not physical distancing.

Really, despite suggesting that it is sending the wrong message, I think "social distancing" sends the right message, and that's exactly what Gary Burgess asked the other day in his question to the Chief Minister - "when can we hug family and friends again". Until we can, there is that barrier in place, which is a form of social separation, even if we can sit apart and chat (providing we can hear well - not always possible for all of us!).

Social distancing during funerals leaves mourners struggling to connect.

That degree of separation was emphasised recently in a BBC News report from Guernsey, where the grandparents at last were able to hug and hold their baby grandchild. The inability to touch, to hold and comfort someone ill or mourning, to hug a child or a loved one, to hold hands - is keeping us socially separate even if we can see and speak at a distance - which is more like sitting across different sides of a table in prison visiting, with distance maintained and no physical contact allowed. Prison visiting is better than nothing, and our prisons may have advantages of fine weather and outdoor space, but it is still restricted.

"Social distancing" clarifies that we do not have that physical contact, as they now enjoy in Guernsey (where they retain the term "social distancing"), and any social interaction is only at a distance. Physical distancing suggests that is not so important, but it is!

If they are that concerned about mental health, household bubbles like Guernsey's approach would be much better than definition changes, which alter nothing.

I think "social distancing" is a very good phrase, and says exactly what it means, and reminds us - and those in government - that allowing more people to meet at a physical distance still has an element of social separation, even if we have an improved form of "prison visiting.".Of course it is not the same as prison visiting, but it has some of the same restrictions on closeness as in some UK prisons (as seen above).

The phrase physical distancing may pretend that it is not as bad as all that because we can meet people outside - at a distance - but it loses sight of that close human contact which is one of the marks of our species. Social distancing carries much more regarding the impact of that important degree of separation (which does slow the virus down). But while everyone is happy with physical distancing with strangers, I think we all want to lose that social distance between family and friends.

And finally, the change may apply to legislation, and messages from Government, but the term easily “social distancing” is here to stay. Anyone who understands linguistics will know that you cannot remove a phrase that is widespread easily by government directive or changing the use in legislation. Languages simply don’t work like that. 

In like manner, because it took ages to come up with the name Covid-19 for this particular Coronavirus, the noun Coronavirus – which hadn’t been applied in a widespread and popular fashion to other viruses of the same family – became the alternative derivation. Putting Covid-19 in all the government documents across the world hasn’t made the slightest difference to the widespread use of that alternative. Indeed, at the present time, given the context of language, anyone talking about “the virus” (with a definite article) is clearly talking about Covid-19.

References

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/transcripts/who-audio-emergenciescoronavirus-press-conference-25may2020.pdf

https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2020/04/08/13/47/social-distancing-vs-physical-distancing

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/nation/2020/04/01/social-distancing-during-funerals-leaves-mourners-struggling-connect-coronavirus-covid-19/5103278002/