When settling in a city like London, the 'moneybag' of England (Simmel 2004:14), one almost expects to never meet their neighbours. You could see them in public and vaguely recognise them. (Simmel 2004:16) A polite smile, perhaps even a wave, but a chat would be far too bold. For many people in cities, being relationally distant from those physically closest to you is an accepted reality.
Compared to rural life which "flows more slowly" (Simmel 2004:13), urban life has a much faster pace. The internal and external stimuli of the city cause inhabitants to become detached as a means of protection. We can draw on Marx's concept of Entfremden, or estrangement (Marx et al. 1970:10), wherein an individual can become alienated from themselves and from other people. Through his study of the city, Simmel is also led to a "theory of cultural alienation." (Frisby 2013:104)
With the outbreak of coronavirus, this has begun to change. What happens to Simmel's image of the estranged city dweller when they are instructed to remain in their local area? Not only has daily life been transformed, but relationships with neighbours have been completely renegotiated. Within these precarious times, many neighbours have abandoned their typical "blasé attitude." (Simmel 2004:15) A study conducted by King's College found that "60% have offered help to... neighbours, while 47% say they've received such help." (Duffy 2020:40)
A memorable element of the first lockdown was clapping for the NHS. Within my road, these were moments where we would catch up with neighbours and chat about the week gone.
As people became more acquainted with each other, it became common to see various sets of neighbours stood in the street, chatting. When it came to VE Day, our road organised a Covid secure tea! Everyone sat out on the street, the organiser brought round cupcakes and we were able to have lots of conversations. This helped my family to feel much less isolated.
Not only did neighbours on my road help each other more, but this increased social cohesion also helped to "assist the wider interests of communities more generally." (Jones et al. 2020:3) People set up collection boxes for foodbanks outside their houses, that neighbours could contribute to. Many families gave away toys, books and plants, asking that a small donation to charity be made in return.
While these gestures may seem small, neighbours are going out of their way to perform them. In my case, these newfound relationships also went a step further as restrictions relaxed. I began carrying out more active and meaningful gestures, like babysitting for various families on the street. Neighbours also began to support each other's small businesses, which is ongoing. Though there is some doubt that this neighbourliness will last beyond the pandemic, these smaller actions arguably become more intuitive, in some cases even replacing the previous blasé attitude. Through repeatedly performing these, we find both a "societal and personal transformation." (Biehl et al. 2007:4)
Bibliography:
Barkham, P. et al. (2013) How well do you know your neighbours? [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/oct/30/how-well-know-your-neighbours
BBC News (2020) VE Day 2020: England prepares for lockdown celebrations. [online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52572884
BBC News (2021) Lockdown: Clap for Carers to return as Clap for Heroes. [online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55561108
Biehl, J.G., Good, B. and Kleinman, A. (Eds.) (2007) Subjectivity: ethnographic investigations (Vol. 7) University of California Press
Cabinet Office (2021) National Lockdown: Stay at Home [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home
Duffy, B. (2020) 'Life under lockdown: coronavirus in the UK.' Kings College London. Available at: http://www.mlnice.com/policy-institute/assets/coronavirus-in-the-uk.pdf
Fine City Neighbours (2021) Invite your Neighbours to join a Neighbourhood Whatsapp group with this Template letter. [online] Available at: https://finecityneighbours.com/2021/01/05/template-letter-to-invite-your-neighbours-to-join-a-neighbourhood-whatsapp-group/
Frisby, D. (2013) Fragments of Modernity: theories of modernity in the work of Simmel, Kracaur and Benjamin. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis (Routledge revivals)
Jones, M., Beardmore, A., Biddle, M., Gibson, A., Ismail, S.U., McClean, S., and White, J. (2020) 'Apart but not Alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbourhood support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown.' Emerald Open Research, 2. Available at: https://emeraldopenresearch.com/articles/2-37/v1
Marx, K., Milligan, M., and Struik, D.J. (1970) Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. (new ed.) London: Lawrence and Wishart.
Petzer, E. (2020) Coronavirus: How lockdown is making us better neighbours and building new communities. [online] Sky News. Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-how-lockdown-is-making-us-better-neighbours-and-building-new-communities-11984795
Simmel, G. (2004) 'The Metropolis and Mental Life' in Miles, M., Hall, T., and Borden, I. (eds.) The City Cultures Reader. London: Routledge, p. 12-19.
The Economist (2020) Official data suggests Britons are learning to help each other. [online] The Economist. Available at: https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/04/25/official-data-suggest-britons-are-learning-to-help-each-other
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