Study Suggests Social Empathy Can Alleviate Blame Towards Minorities Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Korean society experienced cluster infections originating from various minority groups such as Shincheonji Church members, sexual minorities attending a gay club in Itaewon, call center/delivery workers, the elderly in nursing homes, and Chinese nationals. During the pandemic, blame towards religious, economic, gender, and ethnic minorities spread, leading to increased fear, discrimination, and structural inequalities among these groups. This study surveyed 1,500 adults aged 16–69 in Korea to determine which minority groups were most blamed for the spread of COVID-19 and the characteristics associated with this blame. It also examined the impact of the personal fear of contracting the virus (referred to as individual fear), the fear of infecting others and facing social blame (i.e., interpersonal fear), and social empathy in blaming these minority groups. The research findings were published in the renowned social science journal Social Science & Medicine (impact factor: 5.4 / top 3.3% in social sciences), on February 21st.

The analysis showed that Chinese nationals were most widely blamed for the spread of the pandemic, followed by, in order, Shincheonji Church members, gender minorities who attended Itaewon gay clubs, the elderly in nursing homes, and delivery workers. Particularly, more than half of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Chinese nationals, Shincheonji Church members, and gender minorities were to blame. Exploring related factors, it was found that personal fear of COVID-19 infection increased the blame towards all groups. Interpersonal fear, on the other hand, was particularly related to blame towards ethnic and religious minority groups. In contrast, social empathy, when considered alongside interpersonal fear, acted as a buffer against blame towards racial, religious, and sexual minorities, but conversely somewhat intensified the blame towards economic and age-related minority groups.

Corresponding author Professor Jang Sou Hyun of the Department of Sociology, stressed the significance of their study by emphasizing the importance of social empathy towards minority groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “In crises like the pandemic, empathy towards minorities can mitigate fear and anxiety, and understanding and empathy are desperately needed for minority groups that are considered ‘less like us’, such as Chinese nationals, Shincheonji Church members, and gender minority individuals, compared to those considered ‘more like us’ such as economic and age-related minority groups like call center workers or the elderly.” She further pointed out that “although we have overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the blame and discrimination against various minority groups in Korean society remain a task yet to be resolved, and efforts are therefore needed to reduce blame towards minorities and increase empathy for social integration.”