What People Said about Life under Lockdown

Abstract

The article discusses results from the IGPS/Roy McKenzie Centre Covid-19 lockdown survey, focusing on what people reported about their experiences of the level 4 lockdown, both positive and negative, in an open-field response. New Zealanders’ responses allow identification of some common themes. Some of these themes, perhaps, come as a surprise: generally, a plurality of people were positive about the lockdown, particularly in terms of the benefits of time with their family, with a majority having either positive or mixed/neutral feelings. Less surprisingly, work was also on a lot of people’s minds. The results also illustrate a wide diversity of human experiences during the lockdown.