Personal strength and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of cultural workers in the music sector

Abstract

This study examines how cultural workers in the music sector coped with the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and how coping is associated with growth in personal strength during the pandemic. We conducted an online survey 1 year into the pandemic among members of Creo, Norway’s largest trade union in the music sector. Respondents ( N = 658) were to a large degree engaged in fight coping. Furthermore, seeking and giving social support, adopting new digital technologies, rotating job plans, as well as generating and maintaining professional skills were positively related to increased personal strength. We observed notable differences between occupational groups. Musicians chose skill nurturing, music educators engaged in technology adoption, and backstage workers reported flight coping to a larger degree than the other occupational groups. Surprisingly, self-employed and temporary employed workers reported a lower degree of innovation in terms of initiating and participating in new digital concepts and technology adoption compared to those with permanent employment. Finally, temporary or self-employed workers reported a higher degree of flight and freeze coping than permanently employed workers.