Paper short abstract:

The measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it enhanced perception of various borders (state and regional borders, borders of our homes, of ourselves, etc.). The narratives about everyday life during this period shows that there was a sense of fear associated with all of them.

Paper long abstract:

The measures taken by the government during the COVID-19 epidemic brought with it feelings and perceptions of various borders that had previously been torn down and blurred, such as the borders of the state, the borders of the region and the borders of the municipality. But new or previously less perceived borders were also awakened, such as the borders of our homes, of ourselves, and our personal space. But even a brief analysis of the conversations between people and the stories about life during this period shows that the attitude towards these borders is often marked by feelings of fear and discomfort. This is not unusual, as the epidemic is a realization of one of the greatest fears of contemporary society and is literally the embodiment of Bauman's Liquid Fear (2006).

The paper will focus on the presentation of narratives about the everyday life of Slovenes living in the border area with Italy, which reveals various aspects of the perception of these borders and boundaries, also in connection with the creation of new body techniques and other related practices and rituals. But they also reveal the feeling of fear that became a constant and part of everyday life during the pandemic.