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Prompt 3 Responses: Understanding the COVID-19 Pandemic through Symbolic
Interactionism
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Prompt 3 Responses: Understanding the COVID-19 Pandemic through Symbolic
Interactionism
One of the theories that can be used to explain COVID-19 is symbolic interactionism,
which is a theory mainly developed by George Herbert Mead. This theory is based on the notion
that the interpretations of social meanings and symbols that people develop govern the conduct
of society and its members (Setiawan & Pribadi, 2022). The pandemic marked this period with
characteristics like face masks, social distancing markings and even vaccination cards. These
symbols carried significant meanings: Masks were thus signifiers of safety and compliance with
the necessary measures; distancing markers were signs of safety protocols; vaccination cards
signified belief in science and the community's well-being.
Using the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism, it is possible to recognize
how these symbols affected the actions and norms of society during the pandemic. For example,
the mask in the population was synonymous with unity and concern for the collective, even with
social isolation (Setiawan & Pribadi, 2022). On the other hand, people's refusal to wear masks or
take vaccines was caused by a different understanding of these signs imbued with the beliefs and
values of society. The theory allows for coverage of people's diverse responses to the public
health measures,, stressing that the critical idea uniting this response is its context anditsared
meanings
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Sc interactionism also helps to explain social prejudice involved in getting infected with
COVID-19. The infected people usually had to accept stigma labels that positioned them and
others in a certain way in the community. Knowledge of these factors can benefit the
development of public health interventions that eliminate stigma and enhance communication of
behavioral changes (Setiawan & Pribadi, 2022). Consequently, symbolic interactionism provides
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valuable perspectives on the social and symbolic aspects of COVID-19, highlighting the
importance of meaning-making in the sphere of societal reactions.
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References
Setiawan, D., & Pribadi, M. A. (2022, April). Symbolic Interaction Between Parents and
Children in Education During the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 3rd Tarumanagara International
Conference on the Applications of Social Sciences and Humanities (TICASH 2021) (pp.
1171-1174). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220404.185
