COVID-19 and Society

Catalog description

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the social fabric of societies worldwide and upended our lives to such an extent that it is argued to have ushered in a new era. Our goal in this course is to unpack different aspects of this new era and understand how various social forces shape individual experiences. Accordingly, we will critically examine selected social issues at the macro (e.g., disparities in health outcomes, responses to illness) and micro (e.g., doomscrolling, experiences of stigma, bereavement) levels. To that end, the course will also introduce basic social-structural, interpretive, and critical approaches, though we will emphasize the social construction of reality. Satisfies Sociology major requirement. Satisfies Public Health Minor requirement. Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement. Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.