Question

Consider the major sociological perspectives you have read about in this unit (Structural Functionalism, Critical Theory, Feminism, Symbolic Interactionism). Bringing this theory to practice -- how would you understand the COVID-19 pandemic using two of the four major sociological perspectives?

Answer 1

Sociology always tells us about the challenges and barriers that we are going to face since the coronavirus pandemic has affected people in many ways the sociological perspectives also changed and sociologists are currently focusing on the social interaction of people more. Social-distancing right now has become the main concern of people and things like shaking hands, hugging, any kind of physical touch are risky for us but staying away from our loved ones is the most difficult part for all of us but due to the unfortunate causes we have to cope with the situation carefully and we should not lose patience. Though people tend to believe in the risk factor more, for sociologists it is labeled as higher or lower risk always but right now the probability doesn't matter and even if we don't catch the virus by grasping every single person's hand but we have to be cautious and we should still isolate ourselves because that will eventually lead to one of our loved ones' death so instead of putting anyone's life into risk and therefore, symbolic interactionism process and it is powerful. Structural functionalism is also a vital part of sociology and it says that our system is not perfectly structured to handle a global crisis like this. Because it is made of humans and it works how we want them to work so the system can be damaged, it can change. The humans can get the disease and get affected like that too, as simple as that.  Symbolic interactionism is an approach of micro-level phenomena. Particular attention is paid to interactional attainments of self, the nature, construction, and rules of social interaction, and interactional ways of bodies and human emotions.