Short abstract:

The paper analyses the practices of vaccine skeptics among the Russian-speaking community in Germany and the meanings behind them (varying from political acts to health-related practices).

Long abstract:

The mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy in Germany has sparked a debate about democracy and civil liberties. This decision has led to a discourse on the restriction of rights and individual freedoms, which has been popular not only among vaccine skeptics.

My research focuses on people from the Russian-speaking community who have a Soviet or post-Soviet background and currently live in Germany. The data I have collected shows that many of them have a low level of trust in the social system and the government. Distrust can be seen as a rational strategy for adapting to frequent crises and situations of uncertainty. This can lead to developing a habit of circumventing formal rules, known as «mestis» (Scott 1999), resulting also in vaccine hesitancy.

In the interviews, my research participants share their tactics (Certeau 1984) for circumventing vaccination regulations in Germany. These tactics varied from presenting counterfeit test results to utilising specialised compresses that, according to their belief, can neutralise the vaccine's impact if already administered. I argue that these practices cannot be reduced to -pro or -anti sentiments. Rather, they represent a complex and multifaceted set of beliefs and meanings that require careful consideration and analysis.

In my paper, I would like to discuss the changing practices of vaccine skeptics in response to the compulsory Covid vaccination policy implemented by the German government. Specifically, I seek to investigate the world of meanings behind them (varying from political acts to health-related practices).