The Importance of Informal Ties: COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake within Ethnic Minority Communities in Georgia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the multifarious roles of information. While the interconnected nature of the globe has seen the rapid transmission of knowledge, disinformation has continued to spread in parallel. In Georgia, the transfer of information is distinguished by high levels of 'bonding' social capital within society. The prevalence of informal networks - characterised by the dual-phenomenon of close ingroup ties and out-group mistrust - has deeply impacted Georgians' attitudes and practices throughout the pandemic, from issues including compliance with regulations to beliefs regarding the severity of the virus itself. As such, this article examines the role of these informal forms of social capital and their impact on the dissemination of information during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing particular attention on community- level mechanisms in two ethnic minority communities: (1) the Georgian-Armenian community of Samtskhe-Javakheti and (2) the Georgian-Azerbaijani community of Kvemo Kartli.