- Roskilde University Denmark
This study examines the emotional and social consequences of the COVID-19-crisis amongst students at a Danish university. The study is based upon a highly integrated mixed methods design consisting of a two-round panel data survey that was sent out in March (n = 2212), and October 2020 (n = 968), as well as five semi-structured interviews. In terms of quantitative methodology, it applies fixed effects, random effects, and ordinary least squares regression approaches, as well as independent sample T-tests. It draws on the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu, mainly focusing on the concepts of habitus and hysteresis. Firstly, based upon a comparison with comparable respondents in ESS7, it finds that the COVID-19 crisis has led to a significant rise in ill-being and negative emotional consequences. In addi-tion, through panel data regression estimators, it finds that there are various significant predictors of ill-being during the COVID-19-crisis, the most prominent being the extent to which the respondents have managed to create daily structures throughout the crisis. Secondly, it finds that the crisis has partly be-come embedded as spontaneous practices, based on the restrictions, in the habitus of students, thus constituting it as a part of the social sphere. However, in line with the quantitative analysis, many re-spondents struggle with a lack of structure and physical variation. Likewise, it is shown that it is primari-ly the events that constitute everyday life that students feel deprived of. On the other hand, it becomes apparent that although the crisis has led to a higher level of ill-being, many students also experience it as a moment of reflection. Finally, it is demonstrated that although the corona crisis has become em-bedded in the habitus, there are elements of hysteresis effects which, since individuals are unable to use their spontaneous dispositions, make certain social situations hard and demanding, showcasing a dis-crepancy between the field and the habitus.