Alone Together: Finding Solidarity in a Time of Social Distance

Abstract

This is an article about quarantine and the paradox of propinquity. There is a common assumption in sociology that people who interact and are in close physical contact develop social relationships. It is also believed that proximity and the socius of being with others allows for the coordination of activities and construction of society. During the COVID-19 lockdown, social distance measures made physical interactions near impossible. And the onset of these changes to everyday behaviors prove that society is not limited to propinquity. In order to better understand alternative forms of sociability, this article will introduce two concepts: banality and neighborship. The analysis of these ideas will confirm that interactions are preceded by social feelings, such as conviviality and togetherness. There will also be two short case studies of everyday life that show how, in the time of COVID-19, social feelings existed without physical contact.