How Can We Think About The Pandemic & Happiness Sociologically?
The outbreak of COVID-19 has seen huge disruptions on a global scale. It has changed the way we do our work, how we interact with one another and has shaped our perceptions of reality on a collective level. This pandemic has claimed the lives of 2 million people worldwide and has had large implications on global economics, politics and public health.
It is no secret that this pandemic has “rocked the boat” in many ways, but what is not so clear is how this pandemic has changed the way we feel. With continuous lockdowns, social hysteria and the failure of many businesses, it is a fair assumption that this pandemic has influenced our levels of happiness and well-being on many levels.
Due to the diverse range of factors involved, a sociological approach is the most appropriate form of analysis when evaluating the pandemic’s impact on a societal level. So, how can we think about the pandemic and happiness sociologically?
To answer this question, it is necessary first to define sociology and outline the ingredients that go into a sociological analysis.
If we look at contemporary sociology, we will fail to find any single overarching foundation. That is because modern-day sociology adopts a diverse range of methods that are both quantitative and qualitative in nature.
Traditionally, the study of society has always taken into account things like; social classes, culture, religion, and law. Contemporary sociology has diversified further, considering other factors like; health and medicine, the internet and the role that social activity plays in the pursuit and application of scientific knowledge. Overall, sociology is interested in studying the characteristics that make up a society, such as the social structures created and the narratives that influence life.
With this in mind, we can start to beg the question — to what extent does the role of society play in people’s levels of happiness and well-being?
According to Bartman. D (2012), the thing that makes this difficult is that there are no concrete definitions of happiness. Happiness can be divided into two categories — the objective and the subjective.
Subjective forms of happiness and satisfaction include the evaluations we make about how well our lives are going, with affective components and cognitive components. On the other hand, objective happiness includes; income, political rights, freedoms, social relationships, and health. It is also necessary to highlight other elements of happiness, which include positive emotions and mood propensities. These elements of happiness will also be considered in this evaluation.
With these categories of happiness put in place, we can now turn our attention towards happiness on a sociological level concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the World Happiness Report 2021, since the outbreak of COVID-19, there have been significant increases in economic insecurity, higher levels of anxiety and disruptions made in almost every aspect of our lives. This has posed many challenges to the physical and mental well-being of people across the globe. Data from the Gallup World Poll found that emotions changed more so than life satisfaction throughout the first year of the pandemic. There was a 10% rise in people who said they developed feelings of sadness and worry because of the pandemic. We can see here that both the affective component of happiness and the cognitive component of happiness was impacted due to these drastic changes brought about by the pandemic in 2020. Although it is mentioned that emotions changed more than life satisfaction levels, the fear that objective forms of happiness were at risk may have been the catalyst for these declines in subjective happiness levels.
In East Asia, reports suggest an association between the rise in confirmed cases and people’s lower levels of expressed happiness in mainland China. These results come as no surprise, as strict protocol meant mobility control and physical distancing. With physical distancing, we have seen disruptions in our normal freedoms, social relationships, and overall health.
The World Happiness Report 2021 suggests that since the pandemic, there has been a 47% increase in the incidence of mental health issues in the UK. While these numbers have significant implications, there seems to be a silver lining regarding mental health on a societal level. Since the pandemic, there has been a huge increase in public awareness on health issues such as anxiety and depression. This is a positive step forward for future research on mental disorders. The Australian government did an exceptional job in 2019, providing huge rebates for those seeking therapeutic services for mental health issues like depression and addiction. Although the pandemic has increased the risk for suicide, there is no evidence to suggest that the suicides that have occurred are directly related to the pandemic. Nonetheless, this increased awareness can only mean good things moving forward.
Regarding objective levels of happiness, the pandemic’s impact on global GDP is negative, with reductions of 5% in 2020. This event has created the largest economic crisis in a generation. According to the World Happiness Report 2021, unemployment is 20% below normal levels, and for those who are employed, many of them are losing working hours as a result. The loss of jobs and income has resulted in a 12% decline in life satisfaction, with young people reporting low levels of well-being.
Some Final Words:
While the pandemic has “rocked the boat” of normal life and happiness levels for our society on a global scale, I can’t help but see many silver linings. The pandemic has forced individuals, groups, companies and governments to re-evaluate old ways of doing things, pushing us in a direction that considers things like mental health, work-life balance and the environment. Although we have seen declines in both subjective and objective levels of happiness, this has only raised more awareness, resulting in beneficial outcomes. Although the global economy is experiencing strife, history shows that there is an upturn that follows after every downturn. These are the natural cycles of national and global economics, and there will be an inevitable recovery. The pandemic has forced science and technology to progress in necessary and profound ways as humanity strives to navigate its way through the tough terrain of the 21st century.