The Social Implications of Coronavirus "COVID-19": A Field Study on the Jordanian Society

Abstract

This study aims to know the social implications of coronavirus "COVID-19" on the Jordan society, through five areas: social stigma, complications in the surrounding social conditions, lack of a sense of security (ontology), imbalance of material awareness and strict preventive measures. It was applied to a sample of (735) cases from the Jordanian society, based on the descriptive analytical approach. The results showed that the members of the sample were subjected to social stigma by abandoning the kissing habit when meeting and greeting, limiting home visits and going out picnicking, as well as by social isolation. Also they were subjected to complications in the surrounding social conditions by keeping distance away from each other in public places, limiting the freedom of movement, being blamed for not wearing a mask, in addition to embarrassment when extending hand for shake hands, gossiping in the event of an epidemic or suspected infection and reprimanding others when sneezing or coughing. They lacked the sense of security due to the social limitations and restrictions, the inability to predict future events, the occupational insecurity and the difficulty to achieve their ambitions and expectations. The people material existence has become imbalanced due to merchants' exploitation, scarcity of amusement and recreation places, difficulty of moving from one place to another and suffering from material (finance) difficulties. The people also faced severe protective measures because of the hardness to reach their needs, the aggressiveness of the precautionary measures and payment of penalties when violating protective measures. The study recommends that the management of the coronavirus epidemic in Jordan must widen the dialogue between the Government and the Society, to reach a reasonable view in order to find the best way to deal with this crisis without causing any harm to the people at the cultural, psychological, social and material levels, so that panic and confusion do not spread among them, as well as to make them behave on  a normal basis away from social discredit.