Understanding American COVID-19 Pandemic Beliefs, Behaviors, Politics, and Society

by Herbert C. Covey

Overview

In Understanding American COVID-19 Pandemic Beliefs, Behaviors, Politics, and Society, Herbert C. Covey presents an overview of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted American society. He proposes that the social and political contexts leading up to and during the pandemic fueled differing and sometimes opposing attitudes and behaviors. Some Americans saw COVID-19 as a dangerous threat while others dismissed it as overblown. Covey observes that these divergent views occurred in a vacuum but were influenced by various political, historical, cultural, psychological, and social factors. He argues that Americans’ social perceptions of the pandemic were affected by the unpredictability of the virus, erosion of trust in science and institutions, degradation of the news by biased news sources and social media, loss of critical thinking skills, denialism, truth decay, high emotions, racism, and unprecedented politicization of the pandemic. In addition, the susceptibility of some Americans to COVID-19 rumors, myths, misinformation, and conspiracies led them to make poor health decisions resulting in more severe cases of COVID-19 or, in some cases, death. The book includes data from numerous national surveys to document American beliefs and behaviors related to the pandemic. Finally, the author shows how these beliefs have led to protests, conspiracies, and social movements regarding pandemic responses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666954296
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/30/2023
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Herbert C. Covey worked for over forty years as an administrator in human services, public policy, and juvenile justice. He also taught part-time at the University of Colorado.

Table of Contents

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. Welcome to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Chapter 2. Consequences of Covid-19

Chapter 3. A Brief History of Pandemics and Vaccines

Chapter 4. The Pandemic and Collective Behavior

Chapter 5. Covid-19 Social Behaviors and Trends

Chapter 6. Political Tribalism and the Politicization of Covid-19

Chapter 7. Covid-19 Rumors, Myths, and Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 8. Controversy and Covid-19 Restrictions

References

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

"For anyone able and willing to look in the mirror of their experience with the age of COVID-19, Herbert C. Covey provides a panoramic view of the many ways we’ve been affected and the mysteries of this epidemic era still unexplored. Covey strips much of the confusion about American responses to the virus. He gives us a detailed yet concise X-ray of pandemic beliefs and behaviors that shaped our personal and national experience."

Donald C. Bross

This book aims to present accurate and reputable data and information about the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the attitudes and behaviors of American society. The text includes a plethora of national surveys that document Americans' beliefs and behaviors related to the pandemic. Covey, an expert in the field of human services, examines these divergent views, from life-threatening to conspiratorial, swayed by political, historical, cultural, psychological, and social considerations. The volume affords greater prominence to aspects of the social sciences and humanities that pertain to this issue than to the medical factors. Identifying how societal perceptions were influenced by elements of collective behavior (e.g., rumor, panic, and protests), Covey asserts that these collective behaviors led to poor health decisions, resulting in more severe cases of COVID-19 and/or death. The book opens with a chapter on basic definitions and culminates with an overview of governmental efforts to mandate vaccination, which also addresses the lack of power to impose those mandates. This study provides an overview of how Americans understood and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic affected everyone’s life in some way, this an important read for all audiences. Recommended. All readers.

Choice Reviews