© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

ISU Sociologist: Changing Social Norms Will Outlast Pandemic

Woman wearing a face mask
Nam Y. Huh
/
AP
A woman wears a face mask during the coronavirus outbreak.

It will take more than just re-opening the economy to bring life back to normal. That's according to a sociologist at Illinois State University.
Associate Professor Richard Sullivan said social distancing has become so ingrained during the pandemic, it may take a vaccine or COVID treatment for people to truly feel safe in crowds again.
 

Richard Sulllivan
Credit Illinois State University
Illinois State University associate professor of sociology Richard Sullivan says could lead to a major economic shakeup as Americans reevaluate priorities.

“Life as we know it isn’t going to magically reappear in the next four to six weeks,” Sullivan declared. “I think there’s going to be a very long stretch of time, if people are not going shopping and they are not going to these athletic events, assuming that they are being held, they are not going to happen.”

Sullivan said the pandemic also is changing how we think about consumption. He said if some people decide they can be just as happy with less, that would create a major economic shakeup.

“Some people don’t want that to happen,” Sullivan said. “If we say, ‘I don’t need to consume so much, I’m a lot happier with less,’ for example. That will have economic effects. We live in a society that is based on consumption.”

Sullivan thinks customs such as the handshake eventually will come back, but he said other norms will depend on how long the pandemic lasts.

“If this continues through the summer and the death counts mount and people’s stress elevates, I think it’s going to be a lot harder to return to any sense of what we considered normal before the pandemic,” he said.

The pandemic should serve as a wakeup call that many critical workers lack adequate health care, putting themselves and others at risk during a time of economic upheaval, he added.

“I think that’s going to be a real change in the zeitgeist, in the mentality of society,” Sullivan said. “I think if it's over by June or July, I think you are more likely to see it return to what we had before.”

Sullivan added that changing social norms could be somewhat muted by those who claim social distancing and businesses closings are too extreme.

“I think that is going to be a challenge to establishing new norms if half of the population or some segment of the population sort of defiantly opposing these new norms, then they are going to be harder to get established,” he said.
 

We’re living in unprecedented times when information changes by the minute. WGLT will continue to be here for you, keeping you up-to-date with the live, local and trusted news you need. Help ensure WGLT can continue with its in-depth and comprehensive COVID-19 coverage as the situation evolves by making a contribution.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
Related Content