In Covid-19 and the Transformation of American Society, the first
book-length consideration of the Covid-19 pandemic's implications, noted
sociologist Jose Martinez lays bare the immense social changes that we
should expect from the nouvel coronavirus, which has upended American
life since March 2020. A vital theme of his critique is how inequality
already entrenched in American society may worsen due to large-scale
economic disruption that resonates strongly in the socioeconomic
circumstances of minorities and the poor. On the other hand, society may
also experience constructive social changes resulting from a widespread
reconsideration of consumerism driven by frank reassessments of our
wants and needs. This book addresses how the coronavirus has contributed
to long-lasting reconsiderations of social relationships, from dating to
leisure to education, in both negative and positive ways, and how
national and cultural politics will never be the same. Martinez opens a
new field in foretelling an unanticipated future for American society
and, indeed, the entire world. It concludes with a consideration of
possible solutions to address social changes that we are unlikely to
avoid.