Rebekah Patton
Hello All!
Welcome to my Capstone blog. Below you will find information regarding my graduating research and the findings I observed. Following that, there is information regarding myself and future post-graduation plans. My experiences at Pacific Lutheran University have been memorable, wild, and unpredictable. Though I will miss being a part of this amazing and supportive community, I am so excited to see where the future leads. Please feel free to explore my page and reach out if you have any questions.
Rebekah Patton She/Her/Hers hartrl@plu.edu
Fear of the Unknown: The Functions of Moral Panic in the Time of a Pandemic
ABSTRACT
Today, we are living in unprecedented times with the appearance of the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2. Typically, society seeks the knowledge of those with a master status in healthcare. However, the stress and uncertainty of a pandemic can have drastic effects on societal interaction. Before a pandemic, following societal rules is a norm. In moments of chaos though, how do we continue to follow the norms and mores of societal interaction? I conducted a 40-hour content analysis study on Facebook to answer the question; how does society respond to health workers’ responses and preparedness to a pandemic versus non-healthcare workers’ responses? Facebook pages of friends and public Facebook pages in Gig Harbor were analyzed for response and preparedness to the pandemic. Amidst panic and fear, social norms and roles were dysfunctional and often broken within interaction. Pandemic fear led to conspiracy theories popularized and accepted among abnormally large amounts of individuals, both medical professionals and non-medical professionals. I found that master status was important but only to the the person that had acquired the master status. Individuals who mentioned their medical master status in their post, were frequently de-established by the normalization of medical professions. Respondents to the post were able to mention the health title of a friend or cousin they knew that had a differing opinion and were thus able to negate the importance and education of the original poster. Before the pandemic, the medical title was one to be revered for the knowledge it accompanied. However, during this pandemic, individuals responded to the posts of medical professionals in a similar way that they would for a non-medical individual. Above all else, politics overrode master status. Almost all posts became politicized and stereotyping became prevalent within each thread. The data presented a polarized country driven by fear, medical mistrust, and political forces. This research is important for understanding the variables that drive the polarization of our country so that we as a society can rebuild our societal structure with a force of unity.
Post-Graduation
Following graduation from PLU, I plan to take a gap year to spend time with my wonderful 4-year old son, husband, and family. During this time I will study for the MCAT and apply to medical school in June, 2021. Ultimately, I plan to attend medical school to become an epidemiologist and study infectious diseases, perhaps even SARS-CoV-2!
What I Love About Sociology
I love the inclusion that sociology strives to create. We understand the world around us functions very differently but we as Sociologists are dedicated and empowered to change the dysfunction, encourage differences, and embody the world that we want to live in. Sociologists have the ability to be the mediators in this polarized world through their training of inclusion, communication, and positivity for a better future for all. I am proud to have earned the training that I have and look forward to all the years of continuous learning, understanding, and building relationships within our communities.
Major/Minor
Major - Sociology
Minor - Biology
Pre-Med
Favorite Philosophers:
Karl Marx
W.E.B. Dubois
Patricia Hill Collins
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my friends and professors at Pacific Lutheran University. I have had the opportunity to experience a multi-disciplined education at PLU and as such, feel that it is important to express my thanks to all the departments. A special thanks to my professors in sociology; Dr. Leon-Guerrero, Dr. Fitzwater, Dr. McCloud, Dr. Luther, Dr. Ciscell, and Dr. Pitman. You have all made an impression on me in some way through my time at PLU and taught me invaluable lessons that I will both cherish and use in my future endeavors. From the natural science departments, I would like to thank Dr. Lao for his incredible lectures and dedication to helping me understand chemistry. Thank you Biologists Dr. Smith, Dr. Haberle, Dr. Egge, and Dr. Seidel for always pushing me to be the best scientist I can be and teaching the critical component of scientific communication. From the religion department, I would like to thank Dr. Llewellyn for opening my eyes to religions and ideas around them and encouraging me to seek understanding within them. I am so grateful for the combined knowledge of all the disciplines at PLU. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for supporting me through school and the stressful long nights. This has not been an easy road and I could not have done it without the support and love of my family.