Within the framework of this research project, the social and consequently also the societal consequences, changes or effects of the Covid19 pandemic are to be surveyed, analyzed and interpreted. The different social groups and social strata of society are affected and impacted differently by this crisis. The research approach is based on a heuristic and empirical methodological approach. Categories and core statements are formed in the form of interviews, observations, media analyses and language codes. Topics and questions could include:

• How did people deal with the hardships during the lockdowns

• What were worries, fears and hopes

• Were there generational differences, especially among older people or schoolchildren and young people

• What did the crisis produce that was new

• What words were newly integrated into the language

• How did groupings behave in solidarity 

• Was there confidence, etc.?

The elaborated results should be interpreted under socio-political, socio-philosophical and also sociological or theological theses and theories.

At the same time, the historical perspective should also be considered. The aim here is to compare the effects, handling and consequences with the pandemics of earlier times. In this context, what lessons can be learned for today and in the future. After all, the global dimension of the pandemic is difficult to compare with earlier pandemics, especially since social media and digital news exchange mean that information or regional events are instantly disseminated worldwide. Therefore, probably only a categorized comparison is suitable. Whether this current crisis has a much larger dimension today compared to past crises needs to be proven.
The scientific findings of this planned research project may be suitable for a scientific journal article, for an expert discussion, for a podcast or as a basis for a think tank workshop.

For the project: Esfandiar Tabari/Bernd Seeberger

Tübingen/Germany 15. 01. 2021