What the world may look like after COVID-19?
‘The current crisis is a powerful illustration of our interdependence and our vulnerabilities,’ expert says
Once the coronavirus crisis has ebbed, we may find a world that is poorer, more fragmented and harder to navigate, according to Ian Hurd, professor of political science at Northwestern University, one of two experts available to talk to the media about the topic.
Hurd added that we may see existing disparities between poor and rich countries grow even more rapidly, emphasizing that “the current crisis is a powerful illustration of our interdependence and our vulnerabilities”.
“The contradictions of the old world will be clearer -- a huge underclass with poor sanitation, few reserves and no capacity to self-isolate will be most vulnerable and also will continue to be asked to fulfill crucial tasks, while the elite put their wealth to work to protect themselves and read the stock market as the barometer of success,” he said.
Hurd is available for media interviews. Please contact Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu
Adia Benton, an associate professor of anthropology at Northwestern, also is available to comment.
“I hope it means a renewed interest in thinking about the nature of work, what constitutes essential work and which labor is valued and fairly compensated,” Benton said. “Globally, we need a health system that isn’t geared toward the market or undergirded by its logics; a public health system that, indeed, serves and recognizes a variety of publics.”
Benton is available for media interviews. Please contact Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu