2020s in social history

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This is a social history of the 2020s. Social history refers to changes affecting societies and the lived experiences of their members.

Contents

Global issues

Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

The impact on personal gatherings was strong as medical experts advised, and local authorities often mandated stay-at-home orders to prevent gatherings of any size, not just the larger events that were initially restricted. Such gatherings could be replaced by teleconferencing, or in some cases with unconventional attempts to maintain social distancing with activities such as a balcony sing-along for a concert, [1] or a "birthday parade" for a birthday party. [2] Replacements for gatherings were seen as significant to mental health during the crisis. [3] Social isolation among alcohol users also adopted a trend towards Kalsarikänni or "pantsdrunking", a Finnish antisocial drinking culture. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Low income individuals were more likely to contract the coronavirus and to die from it. [8] In both New York City and Barcelona, low income neighborhoods were disproportionately hit by coronavirus cases. Hypotheses for why this was the case included that poorer families were more likely to live in crowded housing and work in the low skill jobs, such as supermarkets and elder care, which were deemed essential during the crisis. [9] [10] In the United States, millions of low-income people may lack access to health care due to being uninsured or underinsured. [11] Millions of Americans lost their health insurance after losing their jobs. [12] [13] [14] Many low income workers in service jobs became unemployed. [15]

The coronavirus pandemic was followed by a concern for a potential spike in suicides, exacerbated by social isolation due to quarantine and social-distancing guidelines, fear, and unemployment and financial factors. [16] [17] Many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence attributed to lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [18] Financial insecurity, stress, and uncertainty led to increased aggression at home, with abusers able to control large amounts of their victims' daily life. [19] United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a domestic violence "ceasefire". [20]

Race

The murder of George Floyd has led to many protest and riots across the United States and internationally. The stated goal of the protest has been to end police brutality and racial inequality.

Gender

The World Economic Forum published a report on the global gender gap in January 2020 that concludes gender parity will not be reached for 99.5 years. The report benchmarks 153 countries in four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The top-ranking country for parity is Iceland, and Albania, Ethiopia, Mali, Mexico, and Spain are the most improved. At least 35 countries have achieved gender parity in education, and 71 have closed at least 97% of the gap in health. Political empowerment remains poor—85 countries have never had a female head of state and women hold only 25% of all available positions, while eight countries have no women in government at all. Globally, only 55% of women (ages 15–64) are economically active, compared to 78% of men. 72 countries do not allow women to open bank accounts or obtain credit. [21]

Sexual minorities

Drug policy

Drug policies continues to evolve, in particular in relation to cannabis and psychedelics. Landmark events internationally were:

Technology

Trends in technology include greater use of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles (AV), virtual reality, a ten-year human lifespan increase (due to better drugs, stem cell manipulation, and gene therapy), renewable and sustainable energy, and space (commercialization, weaponization, and exploration). [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Europe</span> European health care

Healthcare in Europe is provided through a wide range of different systems run at individual national levels. Most European countries have a system of tightly regulated, competing private health insurance companies, with government subsidies available for citizens who cannot afford coverage. Many European countries offer their citizens a European Health Insurance Card which, on a reciprocal basis, provides insurance for emergency medical treatment insurance when visiting other participating European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it, including political, cultural, and social implications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

The public health measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic effectively contained and reduced the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a global scale between the years 2020–2023, and had several other positive effects on the natural environment of planet Earth and human societies as well, including improved air quality and oxygen levels due to reduced air and water pollution, lower crime rates across the world, and less frequent violent crimes perpetrated by violent non-state actors, such as ISIS and other Islamic terrorist organizations.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea-Bissau is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Guinea-Bissau in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 lockdowns</span> Restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns, were implemented in numerous countries and territories around the world. These restrictions were established with the intention to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. By April 2020, about half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown, with more than 3.9 billion people in more than 90 countries or territories having been asked or ordered to stay at home by their governments. Although similar disease control measures have been used for hundreds of years, the scale of those implemented in the 2020s is thought to be unprecedented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cannabis industry</span> Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the cannabis industry. Investor's Business Daily said the industry was affected as "customers stock up on prescriptions and recreational customers load up on something to make the lockdown a little more mellow or a little less boring".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020</span> Sequence of major events in a virus pandemic

This article documents the chronology of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this pandemic began in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Aspect of viral outbreak

COVID-19 affects men and women differently both in terms of the outcome of infection and the effect of the disease upon society. The mortality due to COVID-19 is higher in men. Slightly more men than women contract COVID with a ratio of 10:9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence</span> Aspect of viral outbreak

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, noting the "horrifying global surge", called for a domestic violence "ceasefire". UN Women stated that COVID-19 created "conditions for abuse that are ideal for abusers because it forced people into lockdown" thus causing a "shadow pandemic" that exacerbated preexisting issues with domestic violence globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime</span> Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic for crime

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted crime and illicit economies such as organised crime, terrorism, street crime, online crime, illegal markets and smuggling, human and wildlife trafficking, slavery, robberies and burglaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBT community</span> Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ community

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities experienced by marginalized populations, and has had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Gay pride events were cancelled or postponed worldwide. More than 220 gay pride celebrations around the world were canceled or postponed in 2020, and in response a Global Pride event was hosted online. LGBTQ+ people also tend to be more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or obesity, that would worsen their chances of survival if they became infected with COVID-19. They are also more likely to smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020</span> Sequence of major events in a virus pandemic

This article documents the chronology of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this pandemic began in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on other health issues</span> Health consequences of outbreak beyond the COVID-19 disease itself

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many impacts on global health beyond those caused by the COVID-19 disease itself. It has led to a reduction in hospital visits for other reasons. There have been 38 per cent fewer hospital visits for heart attack symptoms in the United States and 40 per cent fewer in Spain. The head of cardiology at the University of Arizona said, "My worry is some of these people are dying at home because they're too scared to go to the hospital." There is also concern that people with strokes and appendicitis are not seeking timely treatment. Shortages of medical supplies have impacted people with various conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children</span> Overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children

A systematic review notes that children with COVID-19 have milder effects and better prognoses than adults. However, children are susceptible to "multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children" (MIS-C), a rare but life-threatening systemic illness involving persistent fever and extreme inflammation following exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian government response to the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Actions by the Indian government on COVID-19 pandemic

The first responses of the government of India to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country involved thermal screenings of passengers arriving from China, the country from which the coronavirus disease 2019 originated, as well as of passengers arriving from other countries. As the pandemic spread worldwide, the Indian government recommended social distancing measures and also initiated travel and entry restrictions. Throughout March 2020, several shutdowns and business closures were initiated, and by the end of the month, the Indian government ordered a widespread lockdown. An economic package was announced in May 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations response to the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Aspect of pandemic

The United Nations response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been led by its Secretary-General and can be divided into formal resolutions at the General Assembly and at the Security Council (UNSC), and operations via its specialized agencies and chiefly the World Health Organization in the initial stages, but involving more humanitarian-oriented agencies as the humanitarian impact became clearer, and then economic organizations, like the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the International Labour Organization, and the World Bank, as the socioeconomic implications worsened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020</span> Aspect of the coronavirus outbreak

This article documents the chronology of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this pandemic began in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African diaspora</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed race-based health care disparities in many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Canada, and Singapore. These disparities are believed to originate from structural racism in these countries which pre-dates the pandemic; a commentary in The BMJ noted that "ethnoracialised differences in health outcomes have become the new normal across the world" as a result of ethnic and racial disparities in COVID-19 healthcare, determined by social factors. Data from the United States and elsewhere shows that minorities, especially black people, have been infected and killed at a disproportionate rate to white people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020</span> Aspect of the coronavirus outbreak

This article documents the chronology of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this pandemic began in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on female education</span> COVID-19 impact on education of females

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on female education. Female education relates to the unequal social norms and the specific forms of discrimination that girls face. In 2018, 130 million girls worldwide were out of school, and only two out of three girls were enrolled in secondary education. The COVID-19 pandemic may further widen the gaps and threatens to disrupt the education of more than 11 million girls. In addition, girls are less likely to have access to the Internet and online learning.

References

  1. ↑ Hassan, Jennifer. "During quarantine, balconies worldwide set the stage for DJ sets, squats and singing". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  2. ↑ Ryan, Shannon. "How do you celebrate a kid's birthday during the stay-at-home order? Try a Coronavirus Caravan, with drive-by signs and songs and smiles". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  3. ↑ Janiak, Lily (March 23, 2020). "Bay Area neighbors sing and dance in social-distancing block party". San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  4. ↑ "Kalsarikännit: Drinking at home in your undies, like Finns". The World from PRX.
  5. ↑ "It's time to embrace the Finnish tradition of drinking in your underwear". Matador Network.
  6. ↑ Brech, Anna (11 April 2020). "The Finnish word for being drunk in underwear is perfect for now". Stylist.
  7. ↑ "What may happen after the coronavirus in Finland?". Reachinghot. 5 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Fisher, Max; Bubola, Emma (15 March 2020). "As Coronavirus Deepens Inequality, Inequality Worsens Its Spread". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Buchanan, Larry; Patel, Jugal K.; Rosenthal, Brian M.; Singhvi, Anjali (1 April 2020). "A Month of Coronavirus in New York City: See the Hardest-Hit Areas". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  10. ↑ Burgen, Stephen; Jones, Sam (1 April 2020). "Poor and vulnerable hardest hit by pandemic in Spain". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Coronavirus May Disproportionately Hurt the Poor—And That's Bad for Everyone". Time. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "Coronavirus: 5.4m Americans lost health insurance during pandemic, report says" . The Independent. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18.
  13. ↑ "27 million Americans could lose health insurance as Congress proposes industry 'bailout'" . The Independent. 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-17.
  14. ↑ "Up to 43m Americans could lose health insurance amid pandemic, report says". The Guardian. May 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Derek (20 March 2020). "The Coronavirus Will Be a Catastrophe for the Poor". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Gunnell, David; et al. (April 21, 2020). "Suicide risk and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic". The Lancet. 7 (6): 468–471. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30171-1. PMC   7173821 . PMID   32330430.
  17. ↑ Baker, Noel (April 22, 2020). "Warning Covid-19 could lead to spike in suicide rates". Irish Examiner. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  18. ↑ Godbole T (9 April 2020). "Domestic violence rises amid coronavirus lockdowns in Asia". Deutsche Welle (DW). Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  19. ↑ Johnson K (12 April 2020). "Covid 19 coronavirus: Domestic violence is the second, silent epidemic amid lockdown". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "UN chief calls for domestic violence 'ceasefire' amid 'horrifying global surge'". UN News. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Report: Mind the 100 Year Gap". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 25 Jan 2020.
  22. ↑ "Swiss vote to approve legislation to protect LGBTQ+ rights". TheGuardian.com . Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  23. ↑ "First Same-Sex Marriage Takes Place in Northern Ireland". Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  24. ↑ "The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019". Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  25. ↑ Simmons-Duffin, Selena (12 June 2020). "Transgender Health Protections Reversed By Trump Administration". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  26. ↑ Riboulet-Zemouli, Kenzi; Krawitz, Michael Alan (2022-08-05). "WHO's first scientific review of medicinal Cannabis : from global struggle to patient implications". Drugs, Habits and Social Policy. 23 (1): 5–21. doi:10.1108/DHS-11-2021-0060. ISSN   2752-6739. S2CID   247421561.
  27. ↑ Kwai, Isabella (2 December 2020). "U.N. Reclassifies Cannabis as a Less Dangerous Drug". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  28. ↑ House, The White (2022-10-06). "Statement from President Biden on Marijuana Reform". The White House. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  29. ↑ Five technologies you’ll use in the 2020s The Economist, Retrieved 16 Jan 2020 20 Technology Metatrends That Will Define the Next Decade By Peter H. Diamandis, MD, Singularity Hub, 16 Jan 2020 20 trends for the 2020s by Robert Moran, Brunswick Group, PR Week, 14 January 2020
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