How epidemics affect marginalized communities in war-torn countries: Ebola, securitization, and public opinion about the security forces in Liberia
研究利用利比里亚蒙罗维亚两个边缘社区在2014年埃博拉疫情前后的调查数据，发现疫情安全化加剧了居民对警察的负面看法，并降低了警察服务需求，而军队接触仅在未目睹虐待时提升安全感。
Epidemics that overwhelm health and national institutions tend to disproportionately affect individuals from marginalized communities. The securitization of epidemics further exacerbates feelings of alienation and victimization by security forces among those in such communities. Focusing on this population, our study explores how experiences with securitization during the 2014 Ebola Virus epidemic in Liberia affected perceptions of the security forces. We leverage two, unique surveys conducted before and after the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in two of Monrovia’s informal communities with histories of internally displaced persons and ex-combatants in Monrovia, Liberia–West Point and Peace Island. Our analysis allows us to assess differences in public opinion before and after the Ebola Virus Disease. We find that perceptions of police discrimination and disrespect increased in both communities and that demand for police services declined in both communities. With respect to the Armed Forces, direct contact with soldiers enhanced feelings of safety, but only among those who did not witness them engaging in abuse. Our findings suggest that securitization of epidemics could exacerbate trust in the state, thereby weakening its legitimacy.