Stereotyping, Panic, and Blame
Over the course of the semester, something we have discussed is the idea of stereotyping people in relation to disease/illness due to the mass panic surrounding that disease/illness. Recently, as I’m sure you all know, coronavirus (COVID-19) has captured the attention of the entire world because of the speed with which it has spread throughout the globe. Coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses that can range from simple colds to severe diseases. This new strain, COVID-19, is an acute respiratory disease that had not previously been identified in humans. Many diseases have caused panic throughout the world, but coronavirus has been particularly alarming and prone to causing mass stereotyping because of its similarity in appearance with the common cold. Today, even a simple cough can deeply frighten someone.
Coronavirus’s prevalence in the news and in everyday conversations has led me to think about the stereotyping and panic that surrounds it. I have heard countless stories from friends who have either had family members experience the racist stereotypes that have come with coronavirus or they themselves have experienced it. Because coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, people have been associating the virus with Asian-Americans. Whether it be denying Asian-Americans business or using racist language, people are looking for someone to blame. In the United States and in Los Angeles, we have created this idea that disease is foreign, or an “alien-concept,” which is some of the language the government has used to refer to immigrants. Even in the film we started watching, most if not all of the people who came in contact with the bubonic plague were foreign. The blame has been placed on Chinese people because apparently all Chinese people represent “patient-zero.”
I’m interested in looking at blame, both historically and in the present. Historically, who has been blamed for epidemics, and who is being blamed currently? Have things changed, or are they relatively the same? I’m curious as to why people feel the need to blame others for things that have scientifically been proven to come from animals. I have some questions written below, but feel free to add your own thoughts about the topic!
Questions:
- Why do you think people are constantly looking for the person/group at fault or looking for someone to blame?
- How do you think the media has contributed to the mass panic surrounding coronavirus?
- In what ways have you seen the media spread misinformation?
- What are your thoughts on the ethics of forcefully quarantining?
- Do you think the people who stereotype groups of people use the scientific evidence that the virus came from animals as a metaphor? In other words, are they calling the minority group the animals?
I think it’s just easy for people to look for someone to blame. It could be because the problem is unknown and causes panic, therefore people need something/someone to steady themselves with. The problem could also just be an excuse for people to place blame on minorities. The media has contributed majorly to the mass panic surrounding coronavirus. Without the media, news would travel less fast, and thus, the panic would not spread like it is spreading right now. However, the media spreading the information about coronavirus could also be a positive when it comes to giving directions on how to disinfect and perform safety measures to limit the possibility of contracting the virus. The media has definitely spread misinformation. I’ve seen conspiracies about how the Chinese government made this virus in a lab. I’ve also seen the blame placed on the Chinese. Looking at various sources, it’s also difficult for me to tell how serious the coronavirus is; some sources are telling me that it’s actually nothing to be concerned about. I’m unsure about the ethics surrounding forceful quarantine. The problem with coronavirus is that the symptoms are like the common cold, and so people displaying the symptoms who are taken into quarantine could actually just have a cold. But to take a chance...I’ve seen videos of people in China being taken for quarantine over the coronavirus, forcibly, and it’s painful to watch. I think part of the problem may be that we view people with the virus as the enemy. They are infected as if it’s something to be ashamed of, where instead, we should be looking at it as these are people who need help that need to be cured. To answer the last question, I’m not sure if people who stereotype groups of people use the scientific evidence that the virus came from animals as a metaphor.
ReplyDeleteI think people are constantly looking for someone or something to blame because it helps alleviate some of the fear surrounding the unknown. People are afraid of what they can't understand, and having something to pinpoint blame on gives the illusion that we have more control over whatever we are afraid of. At some point, it doesn't matter if it is logical or not. They just want answers. The media hasn't exactly helped temper the panic surrounding Coronavirus. I don't watch the news very much, so I can't speak to what is on television, but other platforms like TikTok have had an interesting and new role in the panic. I did notice that TikTok has put warnings on some videos that have content related to Coronavirus that tells users to contact local health authorities for updates on the virus. Nevertheless, I think social media adds an interesting factor that historically hasn't had to be dealt with. I'm not sure the media spreads misinformation as much as it focuses on the wrong information that incites more panic than the more important information would (I don't even know what the right information would be quite honestly). I think forcefully quarantining is a sort of necessary process (that I don't know that much about either). As weird or messed up as it might sound, I think the health of the community is more important at the moment than any one person being able to do whatever they want. It will likely keep people safe in the long run. I don't think they're calling minorities animals because I don't think many people actually know the real origins of the virus.
ReplyDelete(Since my left thumb is incapacitated and in pain, I will be typing less than I normally do. Feel free to ask me to verbally elaborate.) The phenomenon of scapegoating is probably about as common as the sun rising from the east and setting in the west. I think much of it stems from the self-serving bias, the psychological principle that people will attribute positive events to their own character and negative events to external factors. This is brilliantly displayed in the wake of the COVID-19, or Coronavirus Disease 2019, epidemic. People will rush to blame their Asian-American coworker when they come down with a fever, but negate the fact that they almost NEVER wash their hands before eating and often do cleaning/maintenance duties without wearing gloves or a mask or goggles (yes, I'm thinking of someone in particular). Rarely do we believe that bad things that happen to us are entirely our fault. And sometimes we blame ourselves for things we had no control over... fascinating how that works. The media, knowing this, jumps at the opportunity to spread fear, misinformation, and downright terrifying lies. We see this with reporting on politics, on law enforcement, and on public health matters, among others. These topics get people fired up, and the juicier the headline, the more people will click on it, meaning $$$ for the journalist companies. Therefore, in these matters, I like to look at these things called facts published by people called government officials to answer my questions.
ReplyDeleteI think in any situation where there is mystery, misunderstanding and confusion, people try to place blame and find someone to fault. I think the same is true of Coronavirus. I also think that the media has certainly contributed to the panic around Coronavirus. I think there is a lot of information coming from different sources and that is creating mixed messaging. I think there is also a lot of misinformation being spread. At the end of the day, I think the variety of information being disseminated and all of the different advice being given, people are even more confused and that is further contributing to panic and confusion.
ReplyDeleteRegarding forcefull quarantine, I think it depends on what you define as forceful quarantine. I think there is a difference between asking people to stay inside and away from others, and dragging people out of their homes and places of business. In general, I understand that quarantine is an effective way of limiting the spread of the disease, however, I still think that all people should be treated with respect and dignity.
I had never considered using that particular metaphor to explain the racism that has accompanied the rise of Coronavirus. I think that there could be some truth to it, even if people are doing it subconsciously.
I think confusion is the main reason people always have to find someone/something to blame when these types of things happen. Coronavirus has spread to a level some people would have never believed, and it's caused panic. People don't totally know what's going on or how to react to the overflow of information and misinformation from the media, so they latch onto whatever/whoever is a popular scapegoat in order to feel supported by the masses. The overwhelming amount of news coming from the media certainly isn't helping either; it's clear that many networks and companies are purposefully putting out information that makes the public frantic. Connor made a great point in class today: why aren't we hearing from major news programs how many people survive the virus? How many are misdiagnosed? What's the mortality rate? We only hear about fatalities, making us connect the virus with probable death more than we would normally. This just shows how powerful the media really is; they can skew an entire nation's view on a topic of their choice.
ReplyDeleteI think when people look to blame others for a situation that obviously affects everyone like this one, it represents a denial of the truth and an attempt to cling to control. Shifting the blame allows people to disassociate themselves from a terrifying, uncontrolled, global pandemic and to think that they are somehow ‘immune’. I believe the media has played a huge part in the social understandings of the coronavirus. Not only has the extensive news coverage on reliable news outlets contributed to the social panic that has seemed to ensue over the past couple of days, but unfounded information has also circulated social media and caused many people to believe misconceptions about the disease. Hand sanitizer is in incredibly high demand right now even though the coronavirus is a viral infection rather than a bacterial (which hand sanitizer fights against). The coronavirus, as far as we know at this time, is not airborne, but many still feel safer with masks on. I know there are different arguments from different viewpoints, but the accessibility of social media has allowed rumors and misconceptions to spread like wildfire. I think the extensive news coverage (both on accredited news sources and from other sources) has also contributed to a widespread social panic that I don’t think is necessarily warranted or productive. I don’t really know that much about the policies of forcefully quarantining, but I’d assume that if it is for the benefit of the hundreds of people that one might interact with on a daily basis, it is for the greater good to quarantine.
ReplyDeleteModern humans have faced and adapted to pandemics from before the 14th century's Black Death to the HIV/AIDS pandemic at its peak in the early 21st century. But for the first time, social media and internet users have defined, diagnosed, and chronicled a global outbreak. The World Health Organization, in its partnership with Facebook and Twitter to combat the spreading of false information, are fraught over the coronavirus "infodemic." Here is an opportunity to capitalize on general fear and disparity, whether by selling a powder, pill and gel form of the "miracle cure" or attracting views on a youtube video promising a comprehensive explanation of the (unknown!) history of the virus. The FDA says taking some of the "miracle cures" offered is comparable to drinking bleach. Some conspiracies include China's invention of the virus in a government lab, Taiwan's non-disclosure of the number of cases and deaths, Bill Gates' single-handed proliferation of the virus, and Italy's racist protests. As internet companies and social media platforms work to rapidly remove posts with false information, it's clear hackers are taking advantage of a desperate search for information by activating digital data traps and racketeers are looking to profit directly. The partnership between the WHO and Facebook and Twitter confirms that in this Information Age, sanitization is needed for both social media posts and our kitchen counters. I agree with everyone's analysis of the associated racism.
ReplyDeleteI think initially there are good intentions in trying to find the source of a virus or disease, but unfortunately, until that source is found or even after that source is found, a blame game ensues. Once a source is known, it makes things slightly easier to understand, but until then, people grasp at straws, creating false narratives and harmful stereotypes which cause an adverse reaction toward specific groups of people.
ReplyDeleteWith coronavirus, the media has only fueled the fire. In all honesty, I have no idea how afraid I should be. I see the news which is telling me to be scared, that by April millions will be infected, but then I see tweets and memes about how people are taking advantage of the panic, taking cheap vacations. People say the death rate is low and that the only people who are really affected are the elderly and immunocompromised. At this point, I don't know what to think, but I see how the intense news coverage has influenced people in America. I just went to Target today and there was no toilet paper, no disinfecting wipes, and a severe lack of cleaning supplies.
As for quarantining, I think the ethicality is dependent on the reason for the quarantine. If the quarantine will slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe then it is completely warranted, but if it's just out of fear with little basis, quarantining is unproductive and unethical.
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ReplyDeleteI’m really interested in Keara’s fifth question, that at some point over the course of this COVID-19 outbreak, indisputable science (the the fact that COVID-19 is derived from animals) has been turned into a dehumanizing metaphor. I’m wondering if there is a difference between a “human virus” or “human disease” and an “animal virus” or “animal disease.” I’m not sure if this is super relevant, but to me, an “animal virus” or “animal disease” sounds significantly more dangerous and threatening than a “human virus” or “human disease” despite the fact that humans are, for all intents and purposes, also animals. Anyways, I have yet to hear an explicit description or characterization of those blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic (right now being Asian/Asian-American people) as being animals or animal-like, but I have definitely seen borderline-dehumanizing (if not outright dehumanizing) rhetoric being used when talking about people in Wuhan and China in general. For example, on Tiktok I’ve seen people say things like “That’s what you get for eating bats” or “What did they expect to happen when they ate live bats,” which both paint the subjects of this rhetoric as “savages” — less than human.
ReplyDeleteThe coronavirus has revealed many primal and old-fashioned aspects of humans. Firstly, coronavirus exposes our need to put the blame on something. Why? The simple answer is that when we blame something else, we are not to blame. No one wants to be the person that created pandemonium and mass hysteria, and blaming someone else for it relieves us of any responsibility. Also, blaming someone tends to relieve anxiety for people who do not cope well when things are out of their control. Managing anxieties surrounding control and knowledge is very difficult, and people tend to have toxic ways of dealing with these issues. Blaming people is one way of coping with this form of anxiety. Is it healthy? Not one bit. There are definitely healthier methods of dealing with ambiguity related anxieties, but many people do not know more positive ways.
ReplyDeleteThe media is far too divided, and the division has resulted in mass hysteria. For example, when the president promised that the Coronavirus was under control, many liberal media sights went against him and said that the virus proved to be a serious threat. When more proof came out that the Coronavirus was not under control, many people did not know what to think. What can you trust when you cannot even trust the person who is leading your country because they have proven themselves to be unreliable? Another way the media has contributed to the Corona panic is by constant coverage of coronavirus related deaths. Not only that, but the consistent media coverage tends to emphasize that the world is shutting down. Schools, businesses, and events are ending due to the Coronavirus, and that is a very scary thing.
Nationalism and racism create a superiority complex which leads people to believe that they are above/better than other humans. What comes with that is dehumanization. The easiest way to make someone seem "less than" is by dehumanizing them. As a result, I do believe that there are people out there who use the fact that the disease came from bats as a way to dehumanize Asian people.
Choosing someone to blame is natural because it is easy and ir gives people "explanations." The majority of people don't like the idea of things happening without reason, so finding someone or a group to blame gives explantations to things. Blaming a group or person is easier than actually confronting the problem. Media is close to everything when it comes to Coronavirus. All the information I receive about Coronavirus is through the media or City of Angels. I don't know what to believe at this point. The media has said stuff about it being a deadly pandemic that will wipeout a lot of people, but it has also said it is the same as the flu. I actually heard (through the media) that the virus came from people being in contact with bats (and I think that is true), so that where I think the relationship of the virus to animals comes from.
ReplyDeleteI think people are constantly looking for someone to blame because they want a weight of responsibility to be lifted off themselves. I think people think it's easier for them to just blame someone else instead of actually studying and understanding how to combat the coronavirus. This dangerous blaming contributes to creating “Us v. Them” ideologies that promote discriminatory, racist sentiments.
ReplyDeleteSince the media has been reporting so much about the coronavirus, it further instills more and more fear in people with regards to catching the virus. I’ve gotten mixed messages on the media. Some media outlets have encouraged people to view the coronavirus in an ambivalent manner, but other media outlets have characterized the virus as a dangerous, murderous thing. The media has contributed to masses of people buying out all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer at places like Costco. This hoarding mentality is a direct result of the mass hysteria caused by the coronavirus. It seems like some people have been adopting the mentality of only caring about their own self-interest.
I have been shocked to hear certain stories of the racism regarding the Corona virus towards Asian-Americans, and find it ridiculous that people are targeting an ethnic group over a virus that may have originated in one country, but should not be associated negatively with the people of that country.
ReplyDeleteI think that jokes, that may be intended to be harmless and playful, on social media platforms such as Tik Tok have played a large role into this culture of racism in this particular case.
I also think that these platforms have played a role in mis information. For example, I saw a tik tok saying that Black people are "more resistant to the Corona virus", which I actually blindly believed until finding out this was not true. I do not watch the news on the TV, read newspapers, listen to the radio, etc. so for me, social media is my main source for news and updates on global issues such as Corona virus, wars, shootings, etc, and I know this may be the case for many other teenagers out there. For that reason I think it is extremely important that we be careful with the information we are consuming on these types of platforms, and the things we are putting out as well. I have even heard that some people are no longer drinking Corona Beer because they think that it has a relation to the virus (which it definitely does not.) This could have been the result of a joke made on social media that got out of hand and misinformed many.
ReplyDeleteI think that people are always looking to blame other people/groups due to not wanting to take responsibility for their problems. For example, the anti-semestism was able to spread due to propaganda surrounding jewish people “taking” jobs from the germans, which is similar to what we hear today about latino individuals from our president. In my opinion, the media has done a terrible job with handling the topic or coronavirus and has caused a lot more panic. In today's society, even with a potential epidemic on the horizon, the media is focussed on getting people to read their articles and stories, resulting in the dramatization of coronavirus and misleading information surrounding this topic. While I do think that it is a harsh thing to do, in these circumstances I think that forcefully quarantining people is necessary. This goes beyond race and social status and if anyone is showing symptoms of having coronavirus, they should be quarantined.