Challenging the role of resilience and vulnerability in narratives of well-being

<ns3:p>This paper critically examines how resilience, vulnerability, and well-being were mobilised in public health responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on two Australian case studies, we analyse how government and media discourses constructed vulnerability to justify both supportive and securitised interventions. Drawing on feminist philosophy and two Australian case studies, we propose a typology of vulnerability that distinguishes between self-constituting, circumstantial, and pathogenic forms, arguing for a relational autonomy framework that foregrounds care, trust, and interdependence. We suggest that reframing vulnerability in this way offers a more ethically robust foundation for public health policy and democratic participation in a post-pandemic world.</ns3:p>