Sociology at its heart is the study of society and all its aspects. Whilst it feels like this can only be applied to a everyday life, sociology does look into the effects of a pandemic situation on society and its functions.

I have always been an avid reader of Owen Jones with my personal favourite books of his being “The Establishment: And how they get away with it” which is a very good read if you are interested in class division in society.

He has recently been investigating how the UK will change following the Covid 19 Pandemic and wished to share some of it with you.

“It can take a grave national crisis to fire a flare, revealing the ugliest features of a society defined by injustices that the wealthy and powerful would rather forget. It took the second world war to achieve what the Jarrow hunger marches of the 1930s struggled for: to illustrate the national shame that millions of people who were called upon to make grand sacrifices were afflicted by poverty and malnourishment. As child evacuees with hungry bellies arrived on the doorsteps of the relatively well-to-do, the other Britain could no longer be ignored. “A revolutionary moment in the world’s history is a time for revolutions, not for patching,” declared William Beveridge as he laid the foundations for the postwar welfare state. Unprecedented state direction of the economy meant that Labour’s ambitious programme of nationalisation no longer seemed quite so scary. The old order perished in the rubble of war-ravaged Britain.Coronavirus has done two things: it has magnified existing social crises and has proved that the government can act decisively when the will is there. Millions are only ever one pay packet away from destitution; the self-employed and gig economy workers lack security and basic rights; private tenants are at the mercy of their landlords; our welfare state is woefully inadequate; and many designated “key workers” are desperately undervalued and badly paid. Who, in good faith, can now blind themselves to these grim truths?”

To read the rest of Owen Jones’ article follow this link and you can also find the rest of his articles during this time