Between Georgia and Ohio: Constructing the Covid-19 Disaster in the United States

Abstract

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to unfold around the world, governments engage in diverse decision-making processes that shape everyday living patterns, rituals and livelihoods. This article compares and examines state-level governmental influences on the social construction of the Covid-19 disaster in the United States, specifically analyzing the states of Ohio and Georgia. The authors interrogate how governing bodies and officials in these states differentially construct the crisis and reshape social norms during periods of liminality.