Introduction
The sociological perspective is a convenient background to assess different events and draw conclusions about their background and potential consequences by using relevant theories and concepts. As a target event to analyze, Joe Biden’s recent infection with COVID-19 will be considered. According to Ward and Berg (2022), on July 21, it became known that the President of the United States tested positive for COVID-19, which became a matter of concern for the White House. Along with a threat to Mr. Biden’s health, the attendant conditions of social distancing must be observed, which creates difficulties for the presidential administration and imposes temporary restrictions on issues requiring the President’s personal presence. To assess this case from a sociological perspective, the role theory will be used to relate Mr. Biden’s status to his role in society and his functions. As the markers to use to interpret the case, the sociological concepts of power and authority and socialization will be involved. The application of these theoretical frameworks can help identify the specific prerequisites for the event in question and determine the degree of its significance in the social context.
Sociological Relevance of the Event
The presented event directly concerns the sphere of sociology and can be interpreted from the standpoint of this discipline. Several reasons explain this, including both different motives and consequences. Firstly, as Ward and Berg (2022) note, the news of the US President’s infection caused a huge stir on social media, which, in turn, led to massive discussions of the event globally. This result indicates that the world community is interested in receiving news of this format. Secondly, due to the constant interaction of Mr. Biden with other high-ranking officials, the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the White House increased, which is a socially significant problem. Despite vaccination, older adults are at risk and most vulnerable to the disease, and even a less dangerous strain of Omicron poses a threat, as Ward and Berg (2022) argue. Thirdly, given the high status of Joe Biden, the event is sociologically significant because it can become a potential trigger for popular discontent. If the country’s President is not immune from infection, ordinary citizens feel even less protected, and their anxiety can escalate into mass dissatisfaction with the current healthcare system and security measures.
Analyzing this event from a sociological perspective can help address several meaningful objectives. By assessing the situation through relevant theories and concepts, comprehensive conclusions about the prerequisites and consequences can be obtained, thereby describing potential precedent avoidance mechanisms. In addition, a sociological lens allows for viewing such a situation in the context of a wide range of interested people, not just one person. Finally, by applying this approach to evaluating the event, one can compare Mr. Biden’s case with one’s personal situation and identify possible differences and similarities in the perception of the problem. Unlike everyday social and cultural assumptions, the sociological idea reveals the situation from the standpoint of significance for people, regardless of specific classes or demographic characteristics. In other words, people worldwide can see what measures are taken to prevent the spread of infection in the White House, how effective the COVID-19 vaccination is, and how the presidential administration covers this case. As a result, specific theories and concepts serve as auxiliary tools to interpret the event in a sociological context.
Role Theory
Mr. Biden’s case is a suitable one to consider from the standpoint of the role theory. Poulsen (2022) considers it and notes that the theory developed by Goffman reflects interaction factors rather than individual personality traits and evaluates the functions that an individual performs in a community rather than alone. With regard to the event associated with the infection of the President with COVID-19, such a theory is particularly relevant.
Mr. Biden is one of the world’s most significant and influential figures, constantly interacting with different communities and being in public. Poulsen (2022) states that media coverage differs from that in traditional bureaucratic formats based on publicity as a criterion defining role characteristics. When speaking about the President as the head of the nation, publicity is the factor stimulating the discussion of such an event on the main pages of the world’s newspapers and magazines. According to Poulsen (2022), the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the perception of public figures; political leaders are seen rather as mediators than controllers. One might point out that Mr. Biden’s infection is a consequence of his active social position and important role in the pandemic regulation system. Therefore, Goffman’s role theory, in this case, rather reveals the positive image of the American President than discredits him in front of the population.
Power and Authority Concept
The case under consideration can be analyzed in the context of the sociological concept of power and authority. Both these phenomena are usually inseparable because they complement each other, and the differences lie in the degree of the legitimacy of control, which corresponds to the idea of authority but not power (Elechi & Jaja, 2020). Joe Biden’s infection with COVID-19 can be considered an event that will definitely affect the behavior and thinking of other people. The President’s example can become an incentive for many citizens to pay more attention to personal health and safety. By assessing the actions of the key figure in the country, people will be able to receive objective instructions from the ruling elites. According to Elechi and Jaja (2020), power and authority build a concept that evolves dynamically under the influence of many factors, including social drivers. As a result, the event in question is a suitable tool for influencing the masses.
By exercising the responsibilities entrusted to the government and the President, Joe Biden is a figure who can drive decision-making under his authority. Elechi and Jaja (2020) cite Max Weber, the world-famous sociologist, who argued that the mix of power and authority makes it possible to combine the basic principles of control with institutional powers. In the context of the event under consideration, the President’s experience with the disease is a stimulus for the population and can be used as a mechanism for coordinating behaviors. In this case, the concept of power and authority is an effective tool to create positive incentives and motivate people to make adequate decisions, which is relevant for the benefit of society as a whole.
Concept of Socialization
In a broader sense, the case of Joe Biden’s positive test for COVID-19 can be characterized from the standpoint of the concept of socialization. As Barak-Corren and Perry-Hazan (2021) argue, this methodological framework is a specific process draws a parallel between a certain social environment and the learning by which people study the respective ideologies. For both US citizens and people worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious barrier to maintaining sustainable communication and preserving the common social norms of interaction. The event in question can be partly interpreted as an educational aspect, which may contribute to introducing the necessary social culture, namely the observance of safety rules.
When speaking of the situation as a significant social event, the concept of socialization makes it possible to form the necessary background for educating the population. Barak-Corren and Perry-Hazan (2021) mention the idea of legal socialization, which involves adopting and establishing the necessary rules and norms. With the onset of the pandemic, severe restrictions on social contact and the movement of people have been established. As a result, the President’s infection may be utilized by both the government of the country and healthcare leaders as a tool to create a legislative precedent. While having a specific example, the authorities can refer to the measures taken by the President and his administration to prevent the spread of infection. This practice aligns with socialization’s educational nature and is helpful in the current pandemic.
Conclusion
The application of the role theory, as well as the concepts of power and authority and socialization, has made it possible to interpret the case of Joe Biden’s COVID-19 infection from a sociological perspective. This situation is of great importance and incentivizes many to pay particular attention to the behavioral principles associated with compliance with safety measures. The event has an educational function and may be utilized to influence the masses by describing the measures taken by the government and the President personally to prevent the spread of infection.
References
Barak‐Corren, N., & Perry‐Hazan, L. (2021). Bidirectional legal socialization and the boundaries of law: The case of enclave communities’ compliance with COVID‐19 regulations. Journal of Social Issues, 77(2), 631-662.
Elechi, M., & Jaja, I. R. (2020). Power and authority in Nigerian political system: A philosophical appraisal. Nasara Journal of Philosophy, 5(1), 156-170.
Poulsen, B. (2022). When civil servants go frontstage – The mediatization of the role of the civil servant during the COVID-19 crisis. Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 73.
Ward, M., & Berg, M. (20221). Biden tests positive for Covid, but is ‘keeping busy.’ Politico.