Historians’ Consideration in Relation to COVID-19 and Racial Reckoning
By definition, a reckoning is a point at which a human being confronts an unpleasant situation. Over the last year, the word reckoning was continuously used as the wave of the racial review was observed. Historians should argue about racial discrimination, racial inequality, and cultural diversity, especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. They should work on the emphasis on reform and change toward equality. This essay illustrates how racism has harmed minority groups’ well-being and undermined social cohesion, resulting in racial reform.
COVID-19 and Racial Reckoning in 2020
The Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) permitted the leading COVID-19 vaccine on December 2nd (Singh, 2020). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several other countries assessed it for emergency use authorization (EUA) status (Guharoy & Krenzelok, 2020). The administration of the vaccine was first given to a black woman by a black lady, indicating that the life of Africans matters. Furthermore, the European countries discovering the COVID-19 vaccine and assenting to share it with Africans marked the beginning of the racial reckoning. Change has taken place, and Africans are now viewed as important people, in contrast to the colonial era.
Murder of George Floyd, Breonna, and Ahmaud Arbey
The coronavirus closed the nation for weeks starting from May 25th, 2020. The pandemic has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. As a result of the recession, millions of people have lost their jobs. A 46-year-old African-American gentleman by the name of George Floyd from Minneapolis went to the store to purchase a pack of cigarettes (Symmes, 2020). A police officer apprehended and knelt on Floyd’s neck, the incident taking a whole nine minutes. Floyd screamed for help and told the cops repeatedly, that he could not breathe. His cry was ignored, and he died while in police custody.
As the coronavirus continued to spread, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a black lady, was working long hours as an emergency medical technician (EMT) in Louisville. While she slept in her own room on March 13th police broke into her apartment late at night. According to prosecutors, the couple believed someone was going in to rob them, so her boyfriend fired a shot at the police officers. The police then retaliated by murdering Taylor after striking her eight times.
Three weeks before the incident with Taylor a 25-year-old black gentleman named Arbery Ahmaud fastened up his running shoe and went jogging in his Brunswick neighborhood. In high school, he was a standout football player who aspired to be an electrician. Arbery was pursued by two white men in a pickup truck, who later said that they thought Arbey was a burglar. Another white man approached them from behind and began filming the entire scene. Later, the video revealed that there had been a fight near the truck. One of the assailants then fired his gun and shot Arbery in the center of the residential community.
As a result, a new movement rose after the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery. It became a reuniting call in capitals and municipalities everywhere in the country, imposing the nation to confront its racist history with the present. Demonstrations were held throughout the state, seeking justice for the deceased. Three months after the demonstration video was leaked, the men who murdered the three were apprehended and convicted.
Summary
In conclusion, COVID-19 has resulted in an era of racial reckoning. The theme of change has been well demonstrated since Europeans have come to their senses and started viewing Africans as human beings. After the assassination of the three black Americans, protests were carried out and justice was attained. This was proof that discrimination is coming to an end and a new era of racial reckoning is rising.
The stay-at-home policy instituted to curb the spread of the coronavirus has exacerbated intimate partner violence (IPV). The pandemic has shown the extent of this problem and magnified it further. Before the lockdown, the victims, who are mostly women, could get away from their abusers by going to work or attending social events. However, being in full or partial lockdown gives the perpetrators round-the-clock access to their partners (Agüero, 2021). The policy and other restrictions to interacting outside of the household have intensified the risk factors for intimate partner violence such as poverty and alcohol use.
Poverty is one of the key structural issues that causes IPV. Although all social classes record IPV, low-income people register higher rates. The increase in domestic violence during the pandemic could be attributed to increased poverty rates. Many people have lost their jobs or other sources of income. According to Alvarez and Bachman, the stress of being poor, fewer opportunities, and lack of economic resources can all exacerbate IPV (Alvarez & Bachman, 2019). Although the full economic impact of COVID-19 is not yet known, it is evident that it has negatively affected many households in terms of income. Being at a worse financial position than before might drive some people to direct their frustrations towards their partners through violence.
Alcohol use has also been identified as a factor that facilitates IPV. It can make people who are usually violent by nature more violent by acting as a disinhibitor. Additionally, alcohol allows individuals to misbehave without taking responsibility (Alvaro & Bachman, 2019). During the pandemic, alcohol use has increased partly because people are at home longer than usual. It could also be because mental health has been on the decline and people resort to drinking as a coping mechanism. Binge drinking could trigger factors, such as inflated sense of power, that contribute to IPV. As a recommendation, the criminal justice system should treat intimate partner violence as a serious crime and actively seek to stop it.
My research paper is based on the thesis, “While some people argue that social distance helps society by reducing the spread of COVID-19, I believe that social distancing diminishes affection. It limits physical connection and leads to emotional separation.” The human race has been a social group with an inbuilt longing for sociological attachments. From the time children are born, they always crave social adjustments that make them yearn to remain in unity with other people. This cord of unity remains intact regardless of the challenges of the day (Sun et al. 506). This norm makes many families observe periodic meetings in the form of family get-togethers either during festive seasons, holiday breaks, or during duty offs. It has never been the practice of humanity to embrace social distancing.
The emergence of the global pandemic, namely COVID-19 brought with it the challenges that demand social distancing regardless of the long-time practiced norms. Many people were seen breaching the government rules to attend burial ceremonies and mourn with the bereaved families in most countries across the globe. This practice has always brought together different people of various cadres and age groups; humans are closely tied despite the rules that are meant to safeguard their well-being.
The reason for choosing this topic of social distancing is twofold. Primarily because it touches the facets of daily life, as demonstrated by the global pandemic in various parts of the country. Second being its logical predominance and the effect it has experienced after the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. Some sources including articles, journals, and publications will be used to demonstrate the theme. The discussions are drawn mainly from the study of psychosocial effects during home confinement and orientation during the time of social distancing journals as well as other articles.
The psychological effects of communication during COVID-19 confinements revealed both success and failures of communication as means of closing the social gap among people. Online communication was a means to mitigate loneliness as more people were forced to work remotely using electronic gadgets such as computers and smart devices. Online social platforms became more and more famous. This became a safer contact medium where telecommunication was more operational. The risk of spread of the disease was much reduced, and there was increased confidence among workmates and family’s interaction. However, the lockdown loneliness where most people used to commune, interact physically, and hang out together could not be eradicated by online communication.
Many workers have been deprived of the peace outside the home they once enjoyed in the public space. Notably, online communication was limited to online digitalized members of the society who are the minority. A great number of people in society not only lack electronic gadgets but they as well have little or no skills in using them optimally. The emotional trauma of attending social events such as weddings through online platforms kept off a vast majority of the society who in the past participated to the utmost hence joy in the society (Bastoni et al. 78). These determinants go a long way to justify that social distancing limits physical connection and emotional separation.
Loneliness is connected to poor cognitive performance, low self-esteem, and mental problems. This has resulted in increased cases of domestic violence and quarrels among neighbors. A positive behavior has been associated with social distancing where people have now been able to develop new skills during their indoor seasons such as baking, flower, and tree management (Cameron and Tenenbaum 235). The detrimental effects on many households associated with sexual abuses, violence, drug abuse, and many more social ills associated with lockdown idleness cannot be underestimated. Due to the pressure of demands upon many breadwinners and yet with little to go in handy, it has been the major cause of depression. Because of these, it indeed depicts more and more emotional separation and reduced affection among the members of the society. The research by Cameron on “Lessons from developmental science to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions” further associated the lockdown with the eating of junk foods which poses greater risks of contracting lifestyle diseases that have long time effects on the social health framework (Cameron and Tenenbaum 236). The anxiety and boredom associated with the lockdown have been a major catalyst to high food consumption, which in turn impacts negatively on health. Furthermore, the panic associated with the unawareness of what would happen next has led to many stockpiling essential foodstuffs, hence leading to the spiking of commodity prices, and this, in turn, affects the purchasing power of the poorer communities and therefore cascading more and more economic imbalances.
Many people relocated to rural areas where life was more manageable, unlike in the urban cities, due to loss of livelihood. This, in turn, adds more pressure among the family members who have to compete for the meagre resources among themselves. The management of lifestyle disorders, as well as depression associated with the lockdown, is not easy, bearing in mind that the government has diverted the attention to the management of COVID-19 related problems leaving fewer funds to manage the other disorders. This breakdown in the quality of health and poor living standards is yet another reason that adds weight to the effects that isolation, separation, and social distancing have impacted in society (Ammar et al. 86). Human beings are created with the disposition to exercise their sense faculties through exposure to a variety of stimuli in the day-to-day lives. This impacts heavily on decision-making processes limiting their effectiveness. The withdrawal from the public to the world of online living deprives humanity of the necessary stimulation to activate the senses (Cameron and Tenenbaum 231). As is the scientific law of use and disuse, when men are called upon to use their inactive senses, they may find they are not able to open up due to the numbness that may be created with long seasons of disuse. People are prohibited from touching surfaces that may be infected. The use of the sense of touch and taste has been of use in the past in the medical field to treat depression and hence healing. The trauma resulting from the laws that prohibit the use of these important faculties is a major point that confirms my argument that, indeed, social distancing has diminished affection, brought physical separation and emotional breakdown.
The Ministry of Health and the government authorities have enforced recommendations and measures in various forms such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, and curfews. While the aim of these restrictions was to prevent the spread of infection, they had the unintended consequence of restricting involvement in regular daily activities. Several states, cities, and countries are imposing laws that reduce the amount of time people can spend participating in outdoor sports activities, athletics, fitness centers, social gatherings, and dances, or have outright banned them. Such limitations harm public health and jeopardize physical activity, which is essential for improving immunity and the ability to cope with or resist infections. (Ammar et al. 36). This may further pose a danger in the management of immunologic conditions. The ban of physical activities and sports in schools, assembly meetings, and group projects have brought in sedentary behavior among school-going children may have long-term effects on their health. If this was to go by, then social distance has indeed brought about physical separation and affection.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the collapse of many businesses and careers. The worst-hit experienced in the tourism and the hotel and hospitality industries. These businesses directly rely on physical contacts, unlike others that may survive by online methods. Many retailers and traders in sales and marketing have been affected through shifting marketing trends, changing demand, and supply chains. When many individuals lose their sources of livelihoods and are left with the hopeless burden of servicing loans and meeting the production costs, this contributes to the poverty levels in the public space (Cameron and Tenenbaum232). The loss of contact through social distance regulations which are necessary for the undertaking of these business enterprises have impacted the economy heavily. This is why the argument that social distance has brought physical separation, emotional separation, and reduced affection holds.
The contribution by Cameron in the journal entitled “Lessons from developmental science to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions on social development” is crucial in supporting the argument presented in this paper. The various efforts to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has in the process birthed up the menace of profiteering. As a result of increase in necessities for infection prevention during the Pandemic, various agencies and organizations have taken advantage of the donations in the form of hand sanitizers, gloves, and personal protective equipment to commercialize them for private gain. This presents an ethical issue that has left many needy citizens in need of these basic necessities but unable to access them. In some countries, there has been an escalation of these complaints calling for public prosecution of the offenders. The process of administering justice in the law courts is a mountainous task based on the fact that the judicial proceedings are conducted online. The process of consolidating important documents for just ruling cannot be an easy task since the operations are limited to paperless and off the working station. Due to the upsurge of infections, the accused are released on bonds to minimize more contacts of inmates in the prisons due to the need to keep social distance. This has therefore hampered the administration of justice and helped to soothe corrupt cartels. The social distance has therefore brought physical separation and hence emotional stress.
The threat that has been brought by the increasing rates of infections has brought fears, and people tend to be more suspicious and more vulnerable. When closed out and have limited interaction with those friends or families who would offer solace during confusing moments, this has indeed worsened the situation. The uncertainty and restlessness waiting for the day when the ban will be lifted lowers productivity and deadens the zeal for outdoor work. It will demand a new orientation of the mindset to refocus the human race to the changing dynamics of living patterns and behavior (Cameron and Tenenbaum 234). Surely social distance in society has brought physical separation with detrimental effects.
It has been a common practice when ailing members of society are visited by friends and relatives, encouraged and comforted as they go through their healing process. After the emergence of the global pandemic of COVID-19, this norm has been long forgotten. The government has put in measures to isolate infected members as well as quarantine those that interacted with the sick. Authorities are now forced to keep away desperate relatives who insist on checking the welfare of their relatives. While it is a positive move to curtail the spread of the deadly virus through contact, this has increased the trauma all the more. Many friends and relatives can only communicate remotely by telephone calls or video calls. The feeling of love that is experienced by close associates in times of trouble is no more. This only worsens the tension of curious family friends and the longing of the sick relatives (Green and Moran 173). Because of this, it can be said that the well-intended social distance has aggravated the physical distancing and emotional separation all the more.
Social media has now become the heart of interpersonal communication between peers, learners, and teachers, as well as the work sphere. This has indeed made the work easier, more innovations in technology have been realized. Social media has incredibly transformed learning and socialization in a new world of interaction altogether. Many learners can enjoy the once boring classroom attention, and many people have developed new skills in information technology. This, however, has brought in other social ills with it. Social media may have made learning easier but cannot replace the need for physical connection. Many students, out of the urge for exploration, have ventured into dark zones of immoral behaviors such as pornography, where there have been moral decay and degradation (Green and Moran 175). This reflects a gap created by lack of physical connection causing the youth to seek attention and satisfaction in vile activities such as drug abuse. There have been increasing cases of teenage pregnancies across many African counties. The idleness and increased freedom to access the Internet have been the main undoing. Morality has always been the core of societal living. The rot that results from this excessive freedom is grievous, from teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, sexual abuses, introduction to gangs, and many others. The pain result of this venture by society cannot be underestimated, although the internet is all the more celebratory.
Social and community health workers are known to always visit and attend to vulnerable groups such as those affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB). These groups require attention in diet monitoring, hygiene, and mental health support. Various programs are put into place to attend to them as well as raise projects that help them to obtain livelihoods. These programs involve contact where they come together in a group and medical check-ups (Gonzalez-Bernal et al. 65). Where social distancing comes into place, many of these victims have found it difficult to attend clinics for fear of infection as well as attending the groups and livelihood improvement projects. This can only worsen their predicaments due to the loss of the warmth that they receive through their contact fellowshipping with each other. This would mean that their survival will be at stake. On this note, it can be said that social distance has broken the necessary bond of physical contact and brought emotional separation.
In conclusion, social distancing that has been brought by the restrictions that are meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 has both advantages yet has brought with it several demerits. The well-meaning strategy and regulation have brought up a great level of loss of physical connection, add up to emotional separation, and dim, finish affection through the various aspects hereby discussed. This has been expressed through the loss of the physical touch during times of grief, sickness, diminishing solidarity, loss of self-esteem, depression, moral degradation, sexual abuse and violence, loss of human affection, dullness of sensual faculties of touch, and general withdrawal from the public.
Given the consequences, both short-term and long-term, which are brought about by complex generated touch-related problems, there is a call for further research. It is recommended that further study be conducted on this subject to have a balanced view and approach. As science and technology continue advancing, lives are affected by new changes and the emergence of epidemics. Government agencies need to collaborate with private enterprises to develop solutions that will ensure effective and adaptive measure to deal with pandemics in future. These measures should also limit the profiteering ability of individual enterprises. The main goal is to ensure that in future, programs designed to address pandemics do not limit society’s social-cultural development. Looking at the examples presented in this essay, scientific research will help make lives better by bringing solutions to the physical and emotional separation brought by the COVID-19.
Works Cited
Ammar, Achraf, et al. “Effects Of COVID-19 Home Confinement On Eating Behaviour And Physical Activity: Results Of The ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey”. Nutrients, vol 12, no. 6, 2020, p. 1583. MDPI AG.
Bastoni, Sofia, et al. “Psychosocial Effects And Use Of Communication Technologies During Home Confinement In The First Wave Of The COVID-19 Pandemic In Italy And The Netherlands”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol 18, no. 5, 2021, p. 2619. MDPI AG.
Cameron, Lindsey, and Harriet R. Tenenbaum. “Lessons from Developmental Science to Mitigate the Effects of the COVID-19 Restrictions on Social Development”. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, vol. 24, no. 2, 2021, pp. 231-236. SAGE Publications.
Gonzalez-Bernal, Jerónimo J., et al. “Life Satisfaction during Forced Social Distancing and Home Confinement Derived From the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 4, 2021, p. 1474. MDPI AG.
Green, Lorraine, and Lisa Moran. “Covid-19, Social Distancing and the ‘Scientisation’ of Touch: Exploring the Changing Social and Emotional Contexts of Touch and Their Implications for Social Work.” Qualitative Social Work, vol. 20, no. 1–2, 2021, pp. 171–178.
Sun, Qing Zhou, et al. “Increased Social Distance Makes People More Risk-Neutral”. The Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 157, no. 4, 2016, pp. 502-512. Informal UK Limited.
Doing this annotated bibliography has acted as a good experience. My approach in selecting the references has been based on a systematic review of articles less than five years old, using keywords such as opioid crisis, and written in English. I have been looking for solutions to the increasing numbers of opioid addictions and deaths. The sources were great as they supplied solutions to my questions on the opioid pandemic. The search strategies used are resourceful, and I have no plans to change them.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d). Understanding the epidemic. 2021, Web.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) researched to investigate the opioid epidemic. According to the report, the number of overdose deaths decreased from 2017 to 2018. However, this rate was still higher in 2018 than in 1999. A portion of 70% of the total deaths in 2018 involved an opioid. Opioid overdose deaths have manifested in three waves from 1999-2018, with a total of 450,00 deaths. The organization postulates the first wave to have been triggered by an increase in the prescription of opioids in the 1990s, leading to an overdose. The second wave began in 2010 when a rapid increase was associated with a heroin overdose. The third wave started in 2018 when a significant increase in opioid overdose involved fentanyl. The organization uses graphs to display the information with facts based on reports critically. Additionally, they give ways of combating the opioid overdose epidemic. This resource will be significant in my study as it focuses on my topic by critiquing how the epidemic has soared over the years.
Cobin, S., Raeford, B., Derric, V., John, M., & Banu, R. (2017). The US opioid crisis: Current federal and state legal issues. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 25(105), 1675–1681. Web.
Corbin, Raeford, Derric, John, and Banu investigate the current federal and state issues in the United States opioid crisis. The authors note that the United States is amid 33,000 deaths annually resulting from illegal or prescribed opioids. At least half of these deaths result from prescribed opioids. The research lays out the guidelines put by the CDC on the use of options for chronic pain. They also give other federal agencies subject to these regulations, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Department of Justice (DoJ). Accordingly, these federal agencies perform distinct roles to help solve the United States opioid crisis. While the DEA is authorized to implement prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), FDA has a latitude magnitude of approving safer opioid medications. This study focuses on the different roles of federal and local authorities to help curb deaths resulting from opioids. The researchers critically distinct tasks for these agencies in reducing opioid deaths. This resource will be significant in my research as it analyzes the current federal and states legal issues surrounding the United States opioid crisis.
Graeme, D., W. (2017). The opioid epidemic of America: What you need to know about the opiate and opioid crisis and how we can heal from it. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Dr. Graeme analyses the opioid epidemic in the United States and its facts in a book. The author gives details on the occurrence of deaths resulting from opioids, which occur every 16 minutes. He alludes that people are bubbling up with daily addictions to opioids, among other fatalities. The impacts of opioid addiction are noted as being hard to tell. To understand the pandemic, Dr. Graeme emphasizes the genesis of opioid addictions where it has reached, and how the pandemic can be stopped. The book is well arranged, giving all the details on why it has been hard to control the opioid crisis and restructure the current policies to find a sustainable solution. It shows how one doctor’s use led to over-prescription. This resource is vital for my topic as it reflects on the facts of addiction, the pill that changed the epidemic, signs to look for, treatment, and prevention of opioid addictions.
King, S. A. (2018). The opioid epidemic: Who is to blame? Psychiatric Times, 35(6).
In this psychiatric time journal, Steven King reports on the opioid epidemic and who is to blame. The author states that while most people place their blame for the opioid pandemic on illicit drug dealers and pharmaceutical companies, their share of responsibility is overstated. King presents data from SAMHSA that indicate doctors as key players in the opioid supply chain. A proportion of 50% of non-medical users gets it from families and friends, while 25% of them get it from a doctor’s prescription. Most patients get their prescriptions from one doctor. King’s article is influential as it uses facts to lay data on the people to be blamed for the opioid crisis. This article will be significant in my research as it indicates who should be accused of the opioid crisis.
Marks, J. H. (2020). Lessons from corporate influence in the opioid epidemic: Toward a norm of separation. Bioethical Inquiry, 17, 173–189. Web.
In this bioethical inquiry, Marks seeks insights from corporate influence in the opioid pandemic. The author posits that the opioid pandemic has been exacerbated by webs of influence created by pharmaceutical companies. Marks acknowledges that the webs include patient advocacy groups, teaching hospitals, medical professional societies, research centers, legislators, and policymakers. Opioid companies make these web strategies to expand the opioid market for patients experiencing chronic pain such as cancer. This study is essential as it gives a detailed approach to corporate influence on the opioid pandemic and how the government and society can counterattack the influence. It will be a significant study for my topic as I seek to know how this organizational web influences the opioid pandemic.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d). Opioid overdose crisis. 2021, Web.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse investigates the opioid overdose crisis and how it happened. The reports indicate that in 2019, approximately 50,000 people in the United States succumbed to death caused by an opioid overdose. Opioid misuse and addiction have been attributed to prescriptions as pain relievers, synthetic opioids, and heroin. CDC has also estimated that the prescription of opioids has caused an economic burden in the United States, approximated at $78.5 billion each year. This article tracks how the opioid crisis emerged in the 1990s and how it has led to addiction. The report uses clear graphs to explain how the pandemic has grown over the years. It is a significant resource for my topic as it touches on the crisis of opioids overdose and how it has spread over the years.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d). Understanding the epidemic. 2021, Web.
Cobin, S., Raeford, B., Derric, V., John, M., & Banu, R. (2017). The US opioid crisis: Current federal and state legal issues. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 25(105), 1675–1681. Web.
Graeme, D., W. (2017). The opioid epidemic of America: What you need to know about the opiate and opioid crisis… And how we can heal from it. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
King, S. A. (2018). The opioid epidemic: Who is to blame? Psychiatric Times, 35(6). Web.
Marks, J. H. (2020). Lessons from corporate influence in the opioid epidemic: Toward a norm of separation. Bioethical Inquiry, 17, 173–189. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d). Opioid overdose crisis. 2021, Web.
In the article “Street art confronts the pandemic,” Suri (2020) addressed the appearance of a great number of murals around the world dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic in authors’ interpretation. The most distinguishable and peculiar works from Norway, Denver, Charlotte, Berlin, and Milwaukee were chosen and described with comments of their creators on how the ideas of images had come to them. In general, almost all subjects are related to well-known attributes of the pandemic – masks, hand sanitizers, toilet paper. At the same time, a considerable number of murals are dedicated to health care workers in order to commemorate and appreciate their work and contribution to lives’ saving. The article may be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/travel/coronavirus-street-art.html
In general, the article reflects multiple aspects of the connection of anthropology with art, especially in Western societies. First of all, the author directly, though straightly, identify street work as art, even if considering placement is a common way of art’s distinguishing along with aesthetic value (Kottak, 2018). However, in the present day, the boundary between art and other humans’ works and activities that cannot be regarded as art is not sharp, and the majority of contemporary artists try to convert everyday life into art (Kottak, 2018). This tendency may be observed in already mentioned street murals as they reflect realities of the pandemic that are common for almost every person in the world.
In comparison with non-Western societies that value collective activities, Western art traditionally emphasizes the individuality of artistic production when an artist is known and mentioned in relation to a piece of art. According to Haapala, artists and their art become inseparable, and “by creating works of art a person creates an artistic identity for himself. He creates himself quite literally into the pieces he puts into his art. He exists in the works he has created” (Kottak, 2018, p. 442). This individuality may be traced in street art as well – almost all muralists leave their signatures in the same way as artists whose works are placed in museums do (Suri, 2020). In addition, they freely leave comments or write about their works, how the idea to create them came, and what they wanted to say by these murals.
The anthropologist Jacques Maquet stated that “an artwork is something that stimulates and sustains contemplation” (Kottak, 2018, p. 440). In this case, being “the ultimate visual source of social commentary,” street murals should be definitely regarded as art as they bring several highly essential messages for people (Suri, 2020, para. 1). First of all, they show that regardless of the pandemic, life does not stop and people should start to value it, their families, and beloved ones. In addition, street art aims to support people in this challenging time and release anxiety by introducing a bit of humor and irony in relation to COVID-19. And it goes without saying that street art of Western societies may be regarded as a part of a global mission of art to thank health care workers and appreciate their contribution to people’s health.
References
Kottak, C. P. (2018). Anthropology: Appreciating human diversity (18th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Despite the fact that the pandemic became a means of organizing people from different nations into groups and helping them attain mutual help, the actual situation is much more complex. This happens because of the growing tensions that destabilize the social concord and force individuals to face a variety of social inequalities and cultural issues (Vieira et al., 2020). The fact that borders are still being closed down paves the way for detailed critical scrutiny that eventually reinforces the values behind the lockdowns. More to say, government interventions and political tensions also became rather usual for European countries because of the pandemic affecting the democratic freedoms available to citizens (Alifano et al., 2020). Nevertheless, the presence of political background does not represent an obstacle for most of the European countries since they have to unite to overcome the negative influence of the pandemic and create a much more positive environment.
Societal Concord
When it comes down to society, the essential point that has to be addressed is the existence of a societal concord that may also be perceived as the feeling of solidarity shared by European citizens. In the future, people living in Europe are going to remember the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the conditions that allowed them to bypass their prejudices and protect societal health instead of pursuing individual objectives (Pachetti et al., 2020). Such international concord is essential because it shows that a common threat can be seen as a means of battling the crisis and generating much more positive conditions for people to live and prosper. The pandemic is going to become a powerful reminder reinforcing the significance of altruistic support (Sobande, 2020). Ultimately, the future of European countries in the post-Covid-19 era depends on the ability of individuals to cooperate.
Another element of societal concord is the existence of intergenerational problems that have been resolved throughout the toughest points of the current pandemic. Even though most of the problems related to Covid-19 are not over, it should be noted that more societal arrangements are going to appear, promoting nuclear families, care for the elderly, and other encouraging practices (Sobande, 2020). The list of active duties and responsibilities is going to be extended by the growing attention span of European citizens and their attitudes toward minority populations or individuals that have trouble caring for themselves. The far-reaching effects of societal concord are going to improve communal well-being and bring numerous economies back to life (Cauchemez et al., 2020). More attention will be paid to how various individuals respond to the pandemic-related stress with the intention of recognizing the most prominent areas of research.
Social Inequalities
The second area of change that cannot be ignored when pondering upon the role of the Covid-19 pandemic and its relation to the future of European countries is the advent of multiple social inequalities. The problem becomes even bigger because numerous social inequalities have intensified over the past year and developed into a series of mini-crises affecting policymaking and deploying economic turmoil (Pachetti et al., 2020). Despite the fact that many countries were rationally swift when it came to short-term corrections, governmental income support seems to be an insufficient measure to cover the amplified influence of the pandemic. The number of qualified workers continues to decrease as well, which shows that the varied financial conditions across European countries are not as welcoming as expected. In the future, the state of the economy will have to be researched in detail in order not to aggravate the situation for those people who have already been affected by social inequalities prior to the pandemic.
When looking into the future of Europe during the post-Covid-19 crisis, it should also be vital to consider the implications of the global health problem for the job market and the longitudinal impact of the pandemic. For example, more attention will have to be paid to employee productivity and inequality under the condition where digitalization continually reinforces investments and collaboration (Vieira et al., 2020). The changing conditions of employment and workplace requirements provide numerous new opportunities to those who have been marginalized before the pandemic. The poor and the homeless are not going to disappear from the map as well, especially with the pandemic forcing quite a few businesses to close down completely (Cauchemez et al., 2020). To move the European society forward, researchers might focus on the notions of guaranteed minimum wage and the most common problems met by employees when going through the pandemic.
Culture and Quality of Life
The fact that people across the globe are going to live with Covid-19 for a long time also shows that individual lifestyles and communal cultures are going to be reshaped over the next few years. The key problem that is going to transpire in the future is the incompatibility of cultural and individual predilections that could become the vital reason for large-scale demonstrations (Cauchemez et al., 2020). It was not easy to reach an agreement regarding certain cultural values and questions prior to the pandemic, and in the future, it is going to become even harder. In the form of a preventive measure, the leaders of key European countries could dwell on the potential scenarios of Covid-19 spreading and what could be done with it. Even if there is going to be an infection-free European society in the future, improved quality of life will be achieved through strict measures and data-driven expert recommendations.
The fact that the virus still exists shows that individual consumption and interaction habits are going to change under pressure created by the pandemic. The same may be said about ethnic elements that are going to play an even bigger role among European communities where cultures are central. With eating practices altering due to the restrictions pushed due to Covid-19, the notion and the limits of a sustainable lifestyle have changed in order to allow for an ethical outlook on how individuals cope with the quarantine (Pachetti et al., 2020). The popularity of eco-friendly products is going to continue to grow while the ratings of the use of public transport will steadily decline over the course of the next year or two. The questions of civic culture and social responsibility will no longer represent an unsolvable enigma, as all European nations are going to pass the pandemic test and coordinate activities more thoroughly.
Conclusion
Even though it may look like the general outcomes on the post-pandemic European community are mostly negative, there are quite a few observations that prove otherwise. The Covid-19 pandemic is an actual crisis that has affected people all across the globe, but the current findings suggest that the future looks bright enough. European community came a long way from extreme pandemic-driven restrictions to resolving some of the societal and economic challenges. In the future, European leaders should be expected to engage in more practical activities and overcome the limitations instigated by Covid-19. The three paths of post-Covid-19 development described by the author represent only a small part of the potential influence caused by the coronavirus crisis. Accordingly, European leaders should work together in order to understand the diversity of governments and collaborate effectively.
References
Alifano, M., Attanasi, G., Iannelli, F., Cherikh, F., & Iannelli, A. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: A European perspective on health economic policies. JBEP COVID-19 Special Issue, 4, 35-43.
Cauchemez, S., Kiem, C. T., Paireau, J., Rolland, P., & Fontanet, A. (2020). Lockdown impact on COVID-19 epidemics in regions across metropolitan France. The Lancet, 396(10257), 1068-1069.
Pachetti, M., Marini, B., Giudici, F., Benedetti, F., Angeletti, S., Ciccozzi, M.,… & Zella, D. (2020). Impact of lockdown on Covid-19 case fatality rate and viral mutations spread in 7 countries in Europe and North America. Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(1), 1-7.
Sobande, F. (2020). ‘We’re all in this together’: Commodified notions of connection, care and community in brand responses to COVID-19. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23(6), 1033-1037.
Vieira, C. M., Franco, O. H., Restrepo, C. G., & Abel, T. (2020). COVID-19: The forgotten priorities of the pandemic. Maturitas, 136, 38-41.
Gender and race stereotypes have significantly influenced the balance of paid and unpaid work. Usually, women are treated as unemployed due to the necessity to provide care for their children. As a result, they are often deprived of equal to men career opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly broadened the care responsibilities of women. Due to lockdowns and health protection measures, women are under more significant pressure than earlier. Considering the pandemic implications, the governments should propose extending the policies regarding balancing paid and unpaid work. Kate Power discusses this issue in her recent article called “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased women and families care burden” (Power, 2020). The author points out that the only possible way to prevent workforce discrimination and minimize the burden for women and families is the government funding and protection policies.
The future of society is doomed based on the youth’s understanding of particular problems. The balancing of paid and unpaid work and other care economy details is essential to comprehend correctly by young people. The first fundamental issue of the care economy is the necessity to divide home responsibilities equally between men and women (Power, 2020). Such an approach will contribute to minimizing gender employment-related stereotypes. Lowering discrimination in the workplace will reduce the burden on women carers. Young people also should understand the essential role of equal child care from both parents from the larger perspective considering the economic implications of unpaid work on society.
Young people should also take into account the essential role of unpaid work. Raising children’s carers ensures the future development of society. It is vital to provide high-quality care and education for children. Thus, such profound work should be respected and rewarded appropriately. The government can contribute to reducing the care work through investments. The social worker’s services, infrastructure, and medical help should be developed to become more accessible for carers to alleviate their work. It is also vital for the government to ensure the representation of this problem in policymaking (Power, 2020). Society and government can reduce the post-COVID-19 negative consequences through the above-mentioned actions.
From my point of view, one of the essential steps the policymakers can take to support the career and families is the development of social services alleviating the care work. Another issue to be addressed is the social recognition of the importance of unpaid work in eliminating gender stereotypes (Power, 2020). Moreover, it is also essential to provide material support in paid family leave and extended unemployment benefits for childcare (Power, 2020). The development of the healthcare sphere and its accessibility to carers is also an essential aspect in minimizing the negative implications of the pandemic. It is also vital to offer legal material support for unpaid workers through various compensations. Moreover, minimizing gender discrimination at the workplace and reducing wages due to family reasons is crucial for the care economy. The policies against the deprivation of workers’ rights should be respected.
Thus, COVID-19 has significantly aggravated families’ burden, especially for women performing unpaid work. The government’s development of the care economies issues can contribute to better living conditions and solving various problems such as broken families and gender inequality in the workplace. Changing the attitude towards unpaid work can respect the carers raising the future generation. Such an acceptance of their work’s role is extremely important during the post-COVID-19 period. The pandemic is a perfect opportunity to enhance the positive systemic changes in the economy and social support.
References
Power, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16(1), 67–73. Web.
The Covid-19 pandemic is the ultimate universal health crisis of current times and one of the most significant challenges over the past several decades. Since the emergence of the deadly virus in China in 2019, it has spread to almost every corner of the world. The impacts have been diverse and far-reaching and have shaped how humans do things, mainly in the health sector, including caring for the old. The 2020 article How covid-19 will shape the future of senior living. New models of care, more aging in place by Reshma Kapadia, discusses how the virus will change senior housing. Undoubtedly, Covid-19 has made many families leery about sending their loved ones to care facilities.
Coronavirus will change senior living housing since the aged are more vulnerable to coronavirus and other infections than other ages. It is estimated that in the U.S., up to 40 percent of Covid-19 deaths were recorded in assisted-living facilities and nursing homes (Kapadia 2). Even though the two are different, seniors go to both nursing homes and assist living for care since they offer different service levels to the residents. On the one hand, the startling figures have pushed many families to rethink sending their old ones to the centers. On the other hand, the management of the care facilities is strategizing by offering services that adhere to covid-19 safety protocols.
Further, Covid-19 has made it difficult for families to visit and share with their loved ones living in care facilities. Daily broadcasts of fatalities at nursing homes and tales of people being denied an opportunity to see their loved ones due to quarantine will definitely leave a significant mark in the industry (Kapadia 5). Even before the pandemic struck, seniors were not ready and willing to relocate into senior-living communities. The pandemic makes even families skeptical and shy away from sending their loved ones to senior-living facilities. More older adults and their families are equating living in the care facilities to courting death which poses a threat to such facilities’ existence.
Reference
Kapadia, Reshma. How Covid-19 Will Shape the Future of Senior Living. New Models of Care, More Aging in Place. Barron’s, 2020.
The recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) had a drastic effect on people around the globe. Although the necessary steps were taken to prevent the virus’s spread, it led to thousands of deaths. The lockdown enforced in many countries helped to curb the rise of new cases of coronavirus. However, it also had unintended consequences that affected numerous people. This paper will examine the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic on violence on the micro-and macro-levels. Specifically, domestic, racially motivated, and gun violence will be discussed.
Violent Behavior on the Micro-Level
The lockdown hurt violence at home. As many people were asked by the governments to stay at and work from home, domestic abuse complaints rose exponentially (Campbell, 2020). This type of violence can be defined as a range of violations within domestic space committed by a member of a family, partner, or ex-partner (Bradbury‐Jones & Isham, 2020). Women and children are more often subjected to mistreatment within a home and can experience physical, sexual, and psychological abuse (Bradbury‐Jones & Isham, 2020). However, men can also become victims of violence if their partners are physically or emotionally abusive.
When examining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence, the characteristics of this type of violation should be discussed. One of the most common tactics of abusers is to isolate their victims (Campbell, 2020). A violent spouse is likely to separate their partner and children from any support systems they may have to prevent them from seeking help. It includes isolation from friends, family, co-workers, and social institutions that can help them end the abusive relationship. The lockdown significantly contributed to the isolation of those who experience abusive behavior at home and potential victims. The pandemic imposed the lockdown on many businesses and affected organizations that deal with family and partner violence and help people suffering from abuse. Many shelters where they can move to had to shut because of the pandemic, leaving many mistreated men, women, and children without the needed support (Campbell, 2020). Thus, the victims of domestic violence were forced to self-isolate with their abusers without being able to leave their homes.
The lockdown put in place due to the spread of coronavirus also exacerbated the behavior of the abusers. According to Campbell (2020), stress, reduced income, and unemployment are some of the main risk factors for domestic violence. The lockdown compelled many businesses to close and dismiss their employees, reduce their salaries, or let them work from home. The pandemic resulted in financial instability for many families, which is a significant risk factor for abuse. Additionally, consumption of alcohol or illicit substances can also contribute to violence (Campbell, 2020). With many restaurants and bars closed, the use of illegal substances and drinking can occur at home, putting all the household members in danger. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the aggravation of violent behavior in domestic offenders due to stress associated with it and deprived the victims of abuse of social support systems.
Violent Behavior on the Macro-Level
The COVID-19 pandemic also affected violence on the macro-level. One of its most notable effects is the rise in the number of violent attacks against foreigners and ethnic and racial minorities. Due to coronavirus reportedly being imported from other countries, the fear of foreigners during the pandemic escalated drastically. Specifically, as the coronavirus is believed to have originated in China, many people in the Asian community experienced aggression and abuse. In the United States, the pandemic led to an upsurge in hate crimes against Asian-Americans, with many being verbally abused and physically assaulted (Gover et al., 2020). The association between China and the pandemic and the stress the virus caused are the main contributors to Asian-American individuals and businesses being attacked (Gover et al., 2020). Thus, the pandemic enabled the spread of prejudice and xenophobia, especially against Asian people.
In addition, gun violence is another concerning issue during the pandemic. According to Hansen & Lory (2020), the sales of firearms in the United States rose drastically since March 2020. Ownership of a gun is a risk factor for domestic violence (Hansen & Lory, 2020). However, in the current context, with many people experiencing stress and financial problems, it can also be viewed as a risk factor for violence on a larger scale. Widespread firearm ownership could increase gun crime in communities if those communities were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Overall, the full effect of coronavirus on violence in communities is yet to be established.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current COVID-19 pandemic impacted most people worldwide and led to violent behaviors occurring on micro-and macro-levels. On the micro-level, violence manifested in the upsurge in cases of domestic abuse. Stress, unemployment, and salary reductions contributed significantly to the rise of cases of violence at home. Moreover, victims of abusive relationships lost vital opportunities to seek help as shelters were closed. On the macro level, the pandemic led to people from the Asian-American community being verbally and physically assaulted. The increased sales of firearms now pose another threat to communities that are affected by the coronavirus. Overall, the real scale of violence and its effects on the population during the pandemic is yet to be determined.
Coronavirus outbreak affected more than 20 million people worldwide and caused economic, political, and social changes at the same time. The following essay will investigate the long-term global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as its impact on the social contract between state and citizen, and its influence on vulnerable members of society.
In the long-term perspective, COVID-19 will require governments to expand in response to economic and social problems. The crisis might cause citizens to accept interventionism and the expansion of state responsibilities. The Great Recession of 2008 represented the beginning of these changes in the social contract. Matthew Goodwin claims that in the era of big debt, government policymakers will attempt to increase taxes and public pressure. Although, the new social contract might be different and guarantee income protection for individuals affected by the crisis while taxes would be based on accumulated wealth.
The expansion of the state will have a long-term impact on the working class and marginalized populations who demonstrated their crucial role in the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Goodwin suggests that the coronavirus outbreak may result in stronger social solidarity and wage increases. However, I believe that the short-term increase in job insecurity and income inequalities caused by the Great Lockdown will not necessarily lead to improved working conditions and financial stability for vulnerable members of society. The crisis impacted mostly low-income workers who make up 80% of the jobs affected by COVID-19, so vulnerable populations risk being further marginalized after a job loss or wage decrease.
All in all, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase government expansionism and cause changes in the social contract. The changes in taxes would either protect individuals or increase public pressure. Moreover, the coronavirus outbreak might contribute to the marginalization of vulnerable individuals who lost their jobs.