By Godfree Matthew Esq.

INTRODUCTION

The previous series of this work have discussed exhaustively the views of the various schools of sociology in relation to COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria. The roles of social institutions in the preventions of the spread of the pandemic were also observed. The works also discussed the role of law as social catalyst in the controlling of human society. The works equally view law as the instruments that restraint acts that are detrimental to the society and that of the interest of those in power. All the views of the sociological schools of thought critically analyzed the situations relating to COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria.

Therefore, this section of the work is concerned with summing up the areas of convergence and divergence of the sociological schools of thought.  In doing so, the areas where the various schools differ will be examined. After that areas where they all agreed will also be discussed. In doing so, this piece is structured into three parts. The first part is the expositions of the main sociological schools of thought and their reflections in Nigeria during the COVID 19 pandemic. The second part deals with the areas of divergence and convergence among the three perspectives of sociology with relation to the COVID 19 pandemic situation in Nigeria; will also be examined. The third arm is the conclusion of the matter where certain steps will be taken as measures in combating the occurrence of any other pandemics in the future.

AN EXPOSTIONS OF THE THREE SOCIOLOGICAL SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN RELATION TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

The three sociological schools of thought that were previously used to analyze COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria are the traditional schools which are the Functionalist, Marxist and the Symbolic interactionist. While the Functionalist and Marxist are termed as systemic schools, because they view society as a system, the Symbolic interactionist is termed as phenomenological school because they believe that certain social realities in the society are subject to subjective interpretations.[1]

  • Functionalist Sociology

The functionalist sociologists believe that the need for social order and equilibrium is essential for any society to thrive. They believe that man is egoistic and in order to curtail his excesses there must be a generally recognized standard of norms and values that should govern a society. Therefore, in order to allow the mainstream ideals of the society to prevail, they believe that it is essential to observe the principles of “collective conscience and moral value- which prioritizes the major interest of the society above an individual’s.[2]  It is from this notion that the society will be able to give priority to the collective interest over personal prejudices of members. It is this collective conscience and moral value that promotes and protects the overall interest of the society.[3]

Again, the functionalists believe that society is built on the principle of “value consensus.”[4] This principle means that it is the values of the society that determines what is desirable and significant. Thus, it is through the valve of value consensus that the society identifies what is desirable and worthy and specifies directions on how to achieve those goals.[5]In doing so, the society outlines three paradigms designated as (a) goals (b) norms and (c) roles.[6]

The functionalist’s theories of collective conscience and value consensus are reflected in Nigeria because all Nigerians are united in combating COVID-19. Their unity against COVID 19 and the desire to combat it shows the reflection of the collective conscience and moral value. They did that by cooperating with the stay-at-home orders, lockdown measures, observing sanitary measures and physical and social distancing.

The Nigerian Government adopted the value consensus approach by setting out goals, dictating norms and specifying roles on how to combat the COVID 19 pandemic. The goals were set out by Nigerian government through intentional policies in which certain institutions such as the health institutions, security and justice system were mandated to ensure that the public abided by government directives. In order to ensure that there was compliance with the government directives, the Nigerian government enacted laws that regulated the dos and the don’ts during the COVID 19 pandemic.[7]

In order to achieve the set out goals of combating COVID 19 pandemic and also to comply with the norms of the society, there is need to allocate roles and specialization.  The role is specified when certain tasks are shared among the members of the society. It is from this point that we have the duties that are specified to doctors, nurses, patients and security officers.

The functionalists further espoused the concepts of medicalisation of the society and sick role. By medicalisation, they refer to the measures taken by the state to counter diseases wreaking the society. [8] Medicalisation refers to the use of health institutions to detect, treat the sick, and prevent diseases through health interventions. It is through the medicalisation approach that the health institution is able to serve as an agency of social control by prescribing what is “normal” and “healthy” and what “disease” is.[9]

The principle of medicalisation is imminent during COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria. In the first place many health and research institutions were used to treat COVID 19 patients in Nigeria.[10] In the same vein, there were measures taken on public enlightenment on the basic health tips. The institutions that were responsible for that include the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (Subsequently referred to as NCDC), Nigeria Media, Civil society etc.

It was established in the previous series of this write up that the NCDC also served as agent of social control to determine the dos and the don’ts relating to COVID 19. It was these institutions that debunked the various subjective views on the treatment and cure of COVID 19 associated with the pandemic.[11]Similarly, it was institutions like NCDC that provided public health education on the preventive measures against the pandemic. The power of the NCDC to embark on such role is statutory, that means it is backed by the law.[12]

The principle of sick role is another functionalist approach that applies to the study of COVID 19 pandemic. By sick role, they are referring to the set of social expectations that defines what is the right and wrong behaviour of a sick person.[13] Therefore, when it is discovered that people are sick, certain privileges are accorded to them. For example, sick people are exempted from the roles society ascribed to them and as such, they cannot attend work and they will not be censured for doing so. Similarly, sick people are not thought to be at fault for their condition because sickness is a physical and biological phenomenon and not a moral issue. Similarly, the society imposes an obligation on the sick people to get well and not to abstain from work. It is in this regard that the sick are obligated to seek appropriate medical treatment and in the course of doing that, the sick are obliged to cooperate with medical practitioners and follow their instructions.[14] The principle of sick role is codified in most of Nigeria’s employment laws and employees’ conditions of service[15]

Additionally, the sick role imposes an obligation on the sick to get well and the sick is obliged to seek treatment from competent doctors and to also follow their counsel. Thus, the COVID-19 patients have the sick role to follow and obey the instructions of the health care providers.[16] Again, it is within the sick role paradigm that all COVID 19 patients must remain indoors to save others from contracting the virus.

Finally, functionalist sociologists view society as a product of social change which is subject to time, chance and season. They view social change as a process of evolution from simple to complex society. Therefore, COVID 19 is a social action that may usher humanity into a new phase of social adjustment in health, economy, education, technology, politics and other spheres of humanity. And as such, people must adjust to fit into the expectations of the new normal.

  • The Marxist Sociology

The Marxist Sociologist view of COVID 19 is centrally focused on the economic determinism. They believe that the society is divided into two; the haves and the have-nots. The haves are adjudged to have higher advantage to quality life including good health care system than the have-nots. As a result of this inequality the poor are likely to be affected by diseases and illnesses than the rich.

The Marxists view medicalisation as a gimmick that is deployed by the capitalist in order to rationalize sickness. To them diseases are not caused by germs or virus, rather it is certain capitalist activities like industrialization that pollutes the air, water, land and the sky. It is the effect of capitalist activities on human environment that causes diseases. They also maintained that human beings usually get exhausted while serving the capitalist tasks in the industries after which they get stressed up or fatigued. Thus, fatigue and stress may not be connected with germs, but just a breakdown of human beings who are drained by capitalist exploitation. For this reason, diseases are more environmentally inclined than biologically induced. As such, it is the capitalist environment that causes sickness and not, biological causes. In Marxist view, it is the industrial and nuclear activity of China that affected humanity by its widespread effect on global communities. Also, the carriers, exporters and importers of the COVID 19 are the bourgeoisie or their agents who travel for businesses abroad. Incidentally, when they returned from abroad they spread the disease to innocent poor Nigerians.

The Marxists further aligns medicalisation with the concepts of pharmaceuticalisation. By phamaceuticalisation they refer to the use of drugs to rationalize the existence of certain sicknesses. They maintained that certain bodily conditions like fatigue and stress are due to physical exhaustion and hard labour. As such, what all the persons affected need to do is to relax and they will recover their lost energy. Hence, they do not need drugs for therapy. However, the capitalist insist on the use of drugs for treatment because of their desire to bolster the commercialization of drugs in a capitalist world.

Closely related to the above, they maintain that the use of drugs to cure ailments further avail the capitalist the opportunity to define what constitutes a disease. They do so by partnering and sponsoring corporations in charge of manufacturing of drugs. By doing so they would be able to influence the processes of the production, sale and marketing of the drugs.  In Nigeria, the refusal of Nigeria government to support the drugs invented by Professor Maurice Iwu left many Nigerians unhappy. The attempt by UN to scuffle Madagascar’s herbal remedy for COVID 19 is another justification of Marxist criticism on the use of drugs as tool of imperialism.

The Marxists further espouses on the concept of corporate control of drugs which rationalizes charitable acts by most of the corporate world. This is seemed as an effort to assuage the effects of the disease, but it is a smokescreen of further perpetuating capitalist exploitative tendencies. Thus, once there is a pandemic like COVID 19, the capitalist corporate world begin to exude philanthropic acts by purchasing and supplying drugs or making donations to needy nations, but systematically linking up certain companies that will carry out the philanthropic act

Lastly, the Marxist views COVID-19 in Nigerian context as a factor that brought about contradiction and clash of paradigms. This is because COVID 19 has led to the loss of many jobs. The pandemic brought about virtual economy whereby other manual jobs like cleaners, messengers, clerks and other manual inclined industry will be wiped off the cadre of employment.[17] To the Marxist, that is a strategic ploy by the capitalist society to dump human beings once its imperial goal is achieved.

(c) The Symbolic Interactionists

The symbolic interactionist sociology is concerned with the notion of self-concepts and how social interactions influenced the perception of individuals. They believe that man is greatly influenced by his society. Thus, through social interaction an individual will come to know how he presents and projects himself in the eyes of the society. If an individual believes that being plumpy is disease of obesity he will have that consciousness as he relates to other members of the society. The notion of self-concept espouses by symbolic interactionists is captured in three principles of ‘looking self glass’ which states that:

  • We imagine how we must appear to others,
  • We imagine the judgments of our appearances, and
  • We develop ourselves through the judgments of others [18]

The notion of self concepts is highly biased in that it gives the individual the subjective ability to determine what are the causes and the cure for COVID 19. In Nigeria, the notion that the Blacks are immune from COVID 19 is an established fact. There are others who believed that the disease is a rich man’s disease. It took the Nigerian government a great deal of efforts to dissuade some people from that belief.

Again, symbolic interactionist propounded the concept of construction of meanings. What they mean here is that meanings attached to a particular thing came up as a result of social interaction and not that those meanings have been in existence from the beginning.[19] For example, before the spread of COVID 19 it is possible that someone might be sick due to malaria, coughing, shortness of breath, exhibiting high temperature and sweating- all these are some of the symptoms of COVID 19. Incidentally such patients might have been treated to be hale and hearty, and then discharged. But at that time, that sickness is not named as COVID 19, it is after some years that a group of illnesses with such symptoms is termed as COVID 19. Thus, to them diseases (including COVID 19) are mere constructions by actors and interpreters of social relations in the society.

To further buttress how the notion of construction and labeling of diseases operates, they maintained that the medical profession defined certain conditions as diseases even when there was no scientific basis that such conditions have biological causes or medical conditions.[20]  For example, prior to1973, the American Psychology Association included homosexuality in its manual of illness.[21]But today the story is different.

Moreover, the symbolic interactionist espoused the concept of negotiation of roles.[22] By these they maintained that it is in the course of human interaction that men define, suggest and ascribe meanings to certain roles in the society. Thus, action is a product of negotiated meanings that emanates from ongoing interactions. To buttress the point that COVID 19 emanated through a construction during social interaction, the need to examine the aetiology of the pandemic is necessary.

In the first place, COVID 19 was said to have been was discovered in Wuhan Province in China. At that time it was just an epidemic affecting only China and so it was named Wuhan Virus or COVID n 19. However, when it had a wider spread and effect on global community, it was declared pandemic and coded COVID 19. Therefore, coding the pandemic from Wuhan virus to COVID 19 is a process of interaction in which the identity of COVID 19 was negotiated.

AREAS OF CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE AMONG THE THREE SOCIOLOGICAL SCHOOLS OF THOUGHTS IN NIGERIA

  • Areas of Convergence

The areas of convergences refer to those views that are agreed by all sociological schools of thought. Simply put, it is the areas that all the three perspectives agree. The first area of agreement is that all believe that COVID 19 is a dreaded monster. They may differ on the causes and treatment, but they all bound by a common belief that COVID 19 is a dangerous disease. Functionalist views COVID 19 as a threat to the collective good and moral of the society- that is good health. Thus, they view the disease as a common enemy that must be confronted in the collective interest of the society. Similarly, the Marxist believes that diseases such as COVID 19 are inimical to the interests of the working class. To them diseases like COVID-19 are the products of capitalist activities that affect human health hazardously. To the symbolic interactionist, when a disease is a dangerously labeled, it affects the self perception of how an individual portrays himself before the society. So diseases like COVID 19 do not only affect the biological make up of an individual, but also the psychological well being of an individual.

Another interesting area of convergence is that all sociological perspectives believe that treatment of COVID 19 is essential for the members of the society. In this regard, functionalist adopts the medicalisation and sick role approach as panacea to treatment. They emphasized on the role of organized health care institutions and health workers and the use of drugs as essential treatment in the cure of COVID 19. In similar concern, the Marxist believes in the treatment as panacea for disease. They believe that treatment can take place through natural process of resting and recreation. They also believe that environmentally related diseases can be cured by deliberate restraint against hostile activities towards natural environment. Equally, the symbolic interactionist believes that diseases can be cured by reducing the exaggerated constructions of certain social abnormalities (like coughing) as deadlier than they appear to be. That by reducing the hype, the self concept of individual will perceive himself in good health than the social actors in the society seeks to portray.

Furthermore, all schools agree that human environment is the theater of COVID 19. They believe that the beginning and end of COVID is a social reality within the context of human society. It is not a fact that happens in animal kingdom. While the functionalist views it as an activity that can be contained by organized human institutions, the symbolic interactionists believe that the role of individual’s perception about self concept is a good responsibility. Marxist on the other hand, agrees that disease occurs as a result of activities of man in the abuse and exploitation of natural environment. Thus all of them believe that disease like COVID 19 is a fact which occurs within human society.

Again, all the sociological perspectives explained the real situations that relates to Nigeria. The functionalist aptly captured the imperative for law and order during COVID 19 in order to promote the collective interest of the society. The existence of agencies like National Center for Disease Control, Presidential Task Force and others are among the functionalist prerequisites espoused by functionalist sociology. Again, the Marxist aptly captured the politics surrounding the use of drugs during the COVID 19 pandemic. The story of Professor Maurice Iwu’s drug invention clearly shows how power politics can affect those who are not on the same page with government. The attempt to subdue Madagascar’s drug by World Health Organization (even via alleged bribe) is another justification of Marxist’s view on how capitalism is an imperial ideology.

  • Areas of Divergence

The sociological schools of thought are divided on their views over the situation of COVID 19.The first area of divergence is the cause of the disease. While functionalists believe that the disease is caused by the spread of the viral infection, the Marxist argues that the disease was spread as a result of occupational movement of the capitalists and the privilege class who frequently travel in and out of the country (Nigeria).  On the other hand, the symbolic interactionists view the cause of the sickness as exaggerated construction of the nature of the disease.

Another difference is in the area of treatment. The functionalists believe in the use of medicine and drugs to cure diseases including COVID 19. They set up an organized institution for treatment of patients through the sick role paradigm. The functionalists also believe in the role of drug companies to proffer solution to certain ailments, including COVID 19.

However, the Marxist believes that diseases can be cured by restraining some of the activities of the capitalist like movement, industrialization and exploitation. Once such acts are restrained, it will naturally heal the sick. They further maintained that drugs are not essential in treatments of conditions like fatigue, obesity and stress. They believe that natural relaxation, diet control and rest are enough to treat such ailments. Individuals do not need to take drugs to be cured of fatigue, obesity and stress. When one notices the fact that up till now no particular drugs were mentioned to have been used to treat those persons discharged of COVID 19, one has little option than to agree with Marxists that not all ailments need drugs.

The symbolic interactionists also agrees with the Marxists that certain ailments do not need treatment via drugs, as natural remedy like resting and adjustment to lifestyle will suffice. The symbolic interactionists believe that medicine are sometimes a make-belief fact whereby once the health professionals suggest a particular drug as cure, it automatically affect the psyche of the patient to believe so. They refer to this situation as medical suggestibility.[23]

Another difference is that while functionalist attached the relevance of institutions in combating COVID 19, the Marxist held a different view. The functionalists believe that the existence of institutions like the hospital, law agencies, surveillance agents, drug companies and security agencies are essential in addressing the plights of society against COVID 19. However, the Marxist believe that it is by overthrowing the owners of certain institutions whose activities in the society led to exploitation and sickness that society will be healthy.[24]

Another point of divergence is that, while the functionalists and Marxists believe that diseases like COVID 19 are acts that affect the systematic functioning of the society, the symbolic interactionist pitches a tent against them. The symbolic interactionists view COVID 19 in terms of cause and treatment from individualistic perspective. They lay more emphasis on self and negate the role of society on the need for social solidarity in public health situation.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This work examined the 3 traditional schools of sociology which are Functionalist, Marxist and Symbolic Interactionist. Other sociological perspectives which are not discussed in this work are structural functionalism, phenomenology and post modernism.[25]While the traditional sociological views are resourceful in the course of this analytical discourse, however, the works did not recommend what measures should be taken to combat the recurrence of future pandemics. It is on this inspiration that this work suggests the subsequent measures as recommendations.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is the responsibility of every scholarly work to conclude by recommending ways forward on how to address the challenges associated with the topic of discourse. The first thing to note is the need for United Nations to prioritize public health care as both global and glocal agenda. The World Health Organisation (W.H.O) should liaise with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to improve the health care system of the developing nation. After complying with the national sovereignty, the United Nation should declare state of emergency on the health sector of the developing nations. In order to curb corruption, the UNDP should directly assume the building of the health sectors.

In light of the delay in the report of the COVID 19 pandemic the global community is accusing China. It is the view of this writer that there should be amendments of the Constitution of WHO and the International Health Regulations, to empower the WHO immediately investigate the outbreak of disease anywhere in the world. Doing so will ensue some degree of transparency in the report and communication of pandemics. This rule should be an exception to the principle of sovereignty. This is because public health concern may have devastating effect as terrorism.

Furthermore, in the light of Madagascar’s saga with the UN, Africa and other regional powers should start strengthening their regional health sector. The African regional health sectors should give priority to its public health care systems and its health workers. More interest and encouragement shall be shown towards alternative medicine and remunerating medical personnel.

There is also the collective need to combat global illiteracy. The saying that “ignorance kills” really reflected itself in light of the COVID 19 pandemic globally. This was seen in the number of people that died from taking alcohol to treat the virus or prevent from contracting the virus and those that resorted to unorthodox means.

Finally, tackling global poverty is also important. Many people contracted COVID 19 because of the quest for daily bread. They believe that since they cannot stand hunger while sitting at home, they concluded that “it is better to be killed by Coronavirus than to be killed by Hunger virus”.

PLEASE THE WRITER WILL LIKE TO KNOW YOUR VIEWS ON WHICH OF THE THREE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES BEST DESCRIBES COVID 19 SITUATIONS IN NIGERIA AND OTHER FEED BACK.

You can reach the author through this email:godfreematthew15@gmail.com

[1].Social Science Libre Text, “1:3DThe Symbolic Interactionisn’s Perspective” October 7,2019@socialsci.libretyexts.org<accessed on May 25,2020>

[2]1.Haralambos and Holborn, ”Sociology Themes and Perspectives”,  8th Edn., ( HarperCollins Publishers, London, 2013) @P.954

[3]Ibid

[4]4.Ibid

[5]5.Ibid

[6]6.Ibid

[7]7. Some of these laws are the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Quarantine Act, Regulations of the various states and the N.C.D.C Act, 2018

[8]James W.Vander Zanden,’ Sociology: The Core”4th Edn.,(McGrwaw-Hill,Inc.,1996) @P.347

[9]9.Ibid

[10]10.. This includes Teaching Hospitals, National Veterinary Research institutes,  etc

[11]11.NAN, No Approved Drug, Vaccine For COVID-19 Yet-NAFDAC”,  The Guardian Nigerian News, MAY 2,2020@https://m.guardian.ng>.no-a<accessed on May 10,2020>

[12]12.Sections 1 and 3 of the N.C. D. C Act,2018 provides to the effect that the Center has the duty to detect, prevent, communicate and enlightened the public about the outbreak of any disease.

[13]13. James W.Vander Zanden,Loc.Cit

[14]14.Ibid

[15]15. See the Employees Compensation Act, 2010 and other Civil and Public Service Rules.

[16]See ‘Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities’ https://www.uhn.ca>patient_—Pdf<accessed on May 10,2020>t

[17]17.Godfree Matthew, Sociological Appraisal of COVID 19 in Nigeria and The Legal Interventions Part : The Marxist Sociology” May 22,2020@https://thenigerianlawyer.com..<accessedonJune 4,2020>

[18]18. Ibid

[19]James W.Vander Zanden,’ Sociology: The Core”4th Edn.,(McGrwaw-Hill,Inc.,1996)@P.348

[20]20.James W.Vander Zanden,’Loc Cit

[21]21.Ibid

[22]22.MichaelHaralambos and Martin Holborn, OP Cit @P.981

[23]James W.Vander Zanden, Op Cit @348

[24].David Mechanic, “Policy,Politics, Health and Medicine: A Marxist View”(1990)@https://doi.org./10.1377<accessed on June 22, 2020>

[25]25.Other schools are structural Functionalism, Neo-Marxism, Phenomenology ,Modernity, Postmodernity and Post-Modenism.See MichaelHaralambos and Martin Holborn, OP Cit @Pp.981-992.These schools of sociology are equally important for analysis of this nature. However, hey exclusion is not ill intended but just a sheer preferences of the write to use the traditional schools of sociology. The writer will, by God’s grace,  definitely examined them in subsequent  intellectual engagements.

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