Case study: Coronavirus, social change and social inequality In Module 10.3 Acti

Case study: Coronavirus, social change and social inequality In Module 10.3 Activity: Social change movements we discussed the coronavirus pandemic and how its effects can be understood as an example of rapid, global social change. This is well summarised in the following article from your Module 11 readings: Coronavirus: How COVID-19 is changing the world (Links to an external site.) (Hope et al. 2020). In response to the serious health risks posed by the spread of coronavirus, people from around the world are experiencing an adjustment in their work and study practices, social interactions and capacity to travel. The unprecedented impacts of the pandemic, including national ‘lockdowns’, have severely impacted employment and therefore social and national economies. Social change and how coronavirus is reshaping individual lives, communities, governments and broader society, are topics of interest for sociologists. So too is the data that reveals the differential ways in which the impacts of coronavirus are felt. In short, coronavirus heralds social change, but it also highlights existing social issues and inequalities throughout societies. Having considered the issues raised in the articles, which form the basis of the case study, and drawing on at least four academic sources, provide a 1000-word response to the following question: What does the coronavirus pandemic reveal about power and/or structure and agency, and the enduring nature of social inequality? Detailed instructions: When writing your response, be sure to explain each of your chosen key concepts with reference to relevant academic literature (your readings from the unit are a good place to start). You might opt to consider power, structure and agency and social inequality; or you might choose to look at power and social inequality; or structure and agency and social inequality. The choice is yours. Once you have explained what each of the key concepts you have chosen to examine refers to, then you should apply them to the coronavirus case study. This means drawing on examples from the articles and analysing them sociologically. In other words, you must think about what is presented in the media articles and then consider how the sociological reading you have undertaken, and the concepts and theories discussed therein, help you to make sense of what is observed. Your response should be written in an essay style, meaning it should contain an introduction, body and conclusion. Your response should be referenced using Harvard referencing. You must use a minimum of four academic sociological sources to support your discussion, which need to be cited in the body of your text and included in a reference list. Any of the empirical examples from the case study that you refer to or draw upon should also be referenced appropriately.