SYMBOLIC interactionism as a sociological perspective refers to the meanings and symbols created or formed by individuals from their interaction with other people and society. This pandemic has influenced how people see objects, create symbols and understand languages by making out new concepts on these things based on their experiences.
On my part, this pandemic showed me a wider and deeper meaning of the word “quarantine.” Quarantine changed the trend of the society, that’s a fact, and we can simply look at the empty roads if we want a better picture of what I’m trying to say. The empty road has become a symbol of people’s plight. Roads were literally empty, especially in the beginning of the quarantine implementation, saved for some government vehicles patrolling and delivering services and goods from one area to another. Normally, people would be glad that streets are wide open. We hate traffic jams. Motorists despise it but today quarantine changes our perspective of traffic.
I would have preferred a congested road in our place rather than an empty and desolate highway.
Roads show the activities of people in the community. A busy road can mean active life. People going here and there, doing their routine, busy with their own businesses. An empty road now for me shows trouble and uncertainty.
I associate quarantine with some airport security measures before. A preventive act conducted against an individual who might be a danger to the society. I only think that this measure is applied to a person, or at its highest peak, to few individuals. Never thought of a phenomenon where it is instigated against a community or an entire country.
The concept of quarantine branches out to form words such as quarantine pass, quarantine ticket, enhanced quarantine, extreme quarantine, and general quarantine. Quarantine now means that a community must secure their borders for people to avoid others from entering. It means that people must have their market schedule to avoid crowds in supermarkets and grocery stores. The concept included the idea that children and senior citizens, invalids and pregnant women cannot go out from their houses or communities because they are vulnerable to some disease-causing organisms.
Community quarantine has become a nemesis of the business world, and perhaps the economy. This, of course, is a measure to protect oneself from disease and death but the implication of quarantine, even if it is viewed as a preventive measure, becomes a problem to business. Employees, whose jobs are not categorized as providers of essential services and products, are jobless as long as there is enhanced community quarantine. Employees must rely on their savings and from government aids for sustenance because job is nothing but a wish.
Quarantine is associated with strict procedures in travel undertakings. How many of our fellow citizens are stranded in areas they only visited because they are not allowed to go home? Students are stuck in dormitories because of the same reason. People cannot go home to their families because of the strict travel ban. People shall bear the grind of walking from a place to another distant place quarantine does not allow movements of utility vehicles. Like others, I would walk going to the supermarket during our market day. I am used to walking but I could not imagine the hardship of others who get to endure long walks to obtain goods and services.
Quarantine is a word that can now be associated with the fall of the stock market. The oil companies cannot sell as they used to sell because most motor vehicles are parked. There is oversupply of oil and they are losing money. Losing money means they have to lay off some of their employees. This situation in the oil industry can happen and is happening to other industries if quarantine is not lifted soon. This must depend on the situation of course.
Quarantine was adopted as a measure to contain the virus because reality is, we do not have medicines and vaccines against the virus. This is sad. Quarantine is not supposed to be espoused because of its suffocating effects to people but there are no other ways seen to prevent the spread of the virus until meds and vaccines are available. Quarantine might have helped develop family bonds among many but I feel that this measure is becoming more deadly as days fly. Quarantine is becoming a bondage and we need to be free of it as soon as we can.