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Public Culture, Feb 1 — In the United States, the COVID‐19 pandemic has proved to be especially destructive and divisive. One of the few things that has united Americans during the pandemic, however, is the experience of watching a new genre of viral videos—face mask face‐offs—that showcase citizens going toe‐to‐toe in public places because someone refuses to wear a mask. These videos are not mere political theater; they are replete with sociologically meaningful data about the nature of Americans’ cultural divisions. By closely analyzing recorded conflicts over collective coronavirus risks and individual freedoms in public settings, the authors identify six justifications for not wearing a mask. These justifications point to emerging cultural discourses and practices organized around phones that not only point to new ways for us to observe social life but participate in the reconfiguration of social life—and social conflict—itself.
MoreOn Our Own: Social Distance, Physical Loneliness, and Structural Isolation in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Social Problems, Feb 1 — The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were defined by distance and isolation, raising concerns about widespread loneliness. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews with residents of New York City who lived alone during the first wave of the pandemic, this article examines the experience of living alone and dealing with loneliness during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, asking: What are the specific aspects of being or feeling alone that cause distress?
MoreThe Seas Are Rising. Could Oysters Help?
The New Yorker, Feb 1 — How a landscape architect is enlisting nature to defend our coastal cities against climate change—and doing it on the cheap.
MoreWe Need Social Solidarity, Not Just Social Distancing
New York Times, Feb 1 — To combat the coronavirus, Americans need to do more than secure their own safety.
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