People of Appalachia, Precarity, and the Perpetual Pandemic.

This pandemic, as with any other in history, has been a substantial one, regarding how the future unfolds. We live in a time more technologically, sustainably, and sociologically advanced time than any other decade in history. A source from the New York Times illustrated this best when they wrote for the Economist “Only the World Wars have rivalled COVID-19 for news coverage” (Times 2020). This, at least in the beginning, gave me great comfort. Science has never been more advanced, Social media is now a thing, and we possessed the ability to stay informed to stay safe. That is at least what I thought going into this. For my article I have decided to focus on the facts of unequal privilege presented during the pandemic through socio-economic status and statistics. As well as the psychological and sociological impact that the pandemic has had or will have. I have created questionnaires and distributed them via e-mail and via facsimile to create a local data pool for that which is to follow. I asked for a few responses and was fortunate enough to receive a slew of responses from all pertinent age groups, socio-economic levels, Industry positions, and socially constructed races that are most dominant within the American region of Appalachia.

The headlines began to roll out in early November of 2019 that a novel viral infection was spreading with haste. News sources painted a story for present day humanity that almost immediately began to rival that of other pandemics from history passed (and rightfully so). The tone of the world almost seemed to wait on bated breath as what would inevitably become our grim existence, took shape. Everything seemed simple enough, wash your hands, stay inside, do not touch your face, wear a mask. The science data was there to support the fact that these things might work. The thing is, is that not everyone followed the guidelines in the beginning (or even now for that matter) which was paramount to the efficacy of the diminished contact theory.

One of the questions posed to my demographics was “Did your day-to-day routine change?”. Astonishingly enough three people said no. I would expect to hear something like “yes I wear a mask everywhere” or “I did not leave my house”. Instead, I was told “no”. They did not wear a mask”, “they believe it is still a hoax”, and “if it kills me it kills me” were the responses I received. What is more shocking to me than their responses are the fact that these three answers came from those highest on the socio-economic scale. Those that had the privilege to quarantine did not seem to want to do so. When I discussed the science over with these three, they were lacodasial in their contribution to the overall death toll. The death toll effects the length of the economic strain by prolonging infection rates. So, I am compelled to wonder, does personal contribution (or the lack there of) cause more economic strain or is it affluent America and their disease distribution through denial? Or is it merely down to one leader faltering foresight upon the disbanding of our Pandemic Team one year before the pandemic began? Only time will be able to answer these questions. So, at this point all we can do is take a look at the facts we do know.

Science is a vast and varying field with some verified endeavors and some theoretical ones depending on the field of science in which one is observing. This pandemic is Virology based, which left us at a complete disadvantage owing to the limited strains of viral infection that can be cured; even with today’s modern medicinal techniques coupled with advanced pharmacology. Out of the 112 people that were questioned about the science involved in this case, only two of them understood it on a basic level, one understood it on a professional level, and the rest did not understand it at all, with two of those believing that it was hoax designed to encourage “fearmongering” and “Separatism among the people” (both actual quotes from those pooled). Half of this group trusted the politicians, whereas the other half trusted the scientists encouraging stronger measures. Only three people agreed it should come down to science no matter your political leanings. Which I strongly agree with.

Only three out of one hundred-twelve made enough money last year to be considered middle class or above. One Haitian American man who works as an attorney at one of Charleston’s most prominent law firms, One Asian American who holds a prominent position at Chase Bank, and One middle-aged Caucasian man who is a network engineer. Other than a mild inconvenience none of these individuals seemed effected economically. They were all able to work from home when needed, none of them saw a loss in gross income, and none of their employment was ever at risk of being terminated due to the overall economy drop. They all however seemed to “lose their Sense of self” owing to the isolation of normally extroverted people. Perhaps even a minor process of denaturalization owing to the need to change pre-determined behaviors into the new societal norms.

Those that did not posses that kind of privilege, however, experienced the opposite result. Two percent of the people questioned worked at locally owned small businesses that closed indefinitely or had to file for bankruptcy. Three percent are working on the front lines as healthcare workers (almost living at the poverty level sadly), and the rest were already doing jobs that were once considered menial, but now are labeled as “Essential”. These individuals HAVE to work. If they do not risk their lives for the measly minimum wage they are earning, they will starve. They risk their lives, the lives of their families everyday just to survive. The need to eat, be warm, be sheltered, and provide. Providing for your family and neighbors is an endearing staple of character within these mountains, and the pandemic has only strengthened the resolve of these small impoverished (in some cases dying) towns.

Not everyone who is still out in the field sees this as a bad thing. One poverty-level individual who cares for his parents said “Work is bustling! I work more than ever, but I am making more than ever! After this I will have my used car paid off, and I am considering getting into the free college program. If this had not happened my future would be looking pretty bleak”. Another man interviewed who is currently living off his retirement said “My banker called me the day the market dropped significantly and told me he had an investment opportunity. I invest $1,500 and ended up making $150,000 for the year on stocks. It was terrifying taking a chance like that during times like these, but in the end you only live once. I had to take a chance!”

Shared Experiences and Historical Psychological Outcomes:

Although these happenings as of late may perhaps be new to the younger populous; the psychological affects are not new to scholarly world. Things may have evolved a bit (Shell shock became PTSD, etc.), but the societal shifts arising from generations of psychologically affect seem a daunting premise. Being faced with one’s own mortality at any given moment is stressful. For the most part, everyone questioned experienced fear on some level. Fear of death, fear of stability, fear of financial security, and fear of mental well being were prominent in all, but two individuals Others faced the horrible truth of the nature of some people. Southwestern University Conducted a study on just that and states that according to Dr. Brian Neighbors, who specializes in personality disorders and psychological tendencies, says that:

the reactions of many individuals to the pandemic suggest a devil-may-care attitude and what some perceive as a lack of concern for the well-being of others. We’ve seen such risk-taking behaviors on the news and in our feeds, if not in person: Defiant shoppers refuse to wear masks or choose to wear them improperly. Vacationers celebrated the summer by filling beaches and packing bars and restaurants. Students at many universities greeted the fall semester by hosting or attending large parties with no observance of social-distancing regulations. It’s a behavior some have referred to as “the logic of the prohibition” or what some behavioral scientists call “reactance”: when you’re told not to do something—even if it’s in the name of your own health and that of the community—some part of your brain tells you to do it anyway. (Neighbors October 22, 2020).

Suggesting that the more privileged individuals take this scenario less seriously than a majority of Americans do. This has proven true within my study as well. Some people who were questioned are students who do not need to work, worry about meals, or apparently the conservation of the lives of others. They seemed to be those abiding by this logic. In fact, one student at WVSU was proud to have been in Cancun during the spring break rush during the pandemic. When asked why they made the choices they made regarding that trip it came down to the aforementioned “reactance”. From my data, those who possessed more privilege, were more likely to succumb to reactance early on, whereas for others it was more of a confinement issue. Depression was a seemingly common issue, as was cabin fever.

So in conclusion, those in my community, as well as those the world over, are all facing the same issue, even if we are not facing it from the same perspective. Fear of the unknown and one’s own mortality seemed most prominent data wise. Whereas a seemingly lacodasial attitude towards the life of others was most minimal. We all had some form of privilege (shelter, food, etc.), but we were not all able to keep our jobs. We were not all able to protect ourselves the way that we wanted to simply to survive, whether that was from the disease, the economic turmoil, or the psychological strain. With all, statistically speaking we are all in the same boat. We all have the common goal of a future, however that may end up looking. We have all lost something: family, friends, stability, hope, drive, SOMETHING. But whether we realize it or not, we have all gained something as well. Strength, tenacity, meaning, gratitude for simple things; whatever it may look like to the individual, I truly believe we have all gained something, even if that is only situational perspective. I hope we can all move forward in the future to improve our nations situations, and plan ahead to mitigate the next one.

Works Cited:

Neighbors, Dr. Bryan D. October 22, 2020. "Scholarly Perspectives on COVID-19, Part 6: The Psychology of a Pandemic." SouthWestern University News: Scholarly Articles.

Pinsker, Joe. 2020. "The Year That We Lost." https://www.theatlantic.com. December 15. Accessed January 12, 2021. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/12/2020-lost-year/617382/.

Times, Gale: New York. 2020. The Economist: News Coverage on COVID-19. December 16. Accessed January 12, 2021. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/12/19/only-the-world-wars-have-rivalled-covid-19-for-news-coverage.