Transformation of the Private/Public Divide in the Times of COVID-19: How Economy Driven Policies Are Reshaping the Concept of Social/Physical Distancing in Serbia

Abstract

The evolution of social/physical distancing narratives throughout the COVID19 pandemic has left the concept itself ambiguous and vague while cutting through the borderlines between private and public. In the case of Serbia, economy-driven policies have shifted the focus from isolation, solitude and remote work during the first  and the only lockdown towards the idea of physical distance in public spaces and work environments. This paper aims to analyse how social distancing narratives in Serbia were construed over time through governmental policies as well as companies’ regulations, and how they redefined the concept of privacy during the pandemic.