Collective Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Neurosociology

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had diverse effects on society worldwide, forcing social scientists to rethink, understand, and address the complexity of the current situation. One thing is certain: the coronavirus is here to stay, and the pandemic has radically transformed social dynamics and social events, regardless of the type of society or the level of development of the countries. COVID-19 has forced all societies to reflect on their priorities and how to achieve human well-being. This implies designing different strategies to overcome the challenges of social development. One of the critical social challenges of COVID-19 is that society as a whole is going through a process called ‘collective mourning,’ as all citizens have lost someone or something-from lives of loved ones to daily routines and ways of life; society is in deep mourning. We are confident that we will overcome this pandemic, thanks to vaccines, but the social effects of COVID-19 will not be resolved with vaccines. The objective of this article is to raise awareness on the importance of using an emerging sociological perspective (neurosociology) to cope with collective mourning so that the state can prepare to provide integrated responses.