Equality and inequality in the context of the risk society and the culture of fear: The case of the COVID-19 pandemic

Global risks which influence big masses are one of the important factors that describe social order and reveal the social change in the era of the post-modern period. International supply chains, digitalization, and transnational economic relationships are commonizing people day by day. Accessibility to these relationships is not the same for everyone. Many inequalities based on the economy continue to exist in society. These commonalities and inequalities continue to exist in the reflection of global risks within society. The covid-19 pandemic has created particular commonalities and inequalities in the world similar to the description of a global risk society. Virus, physiologically and societally, has been an equalizer over people while causing discrimination in particular areas interpersonally. This study aims to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic's equalizing elements that were created over the people and inequalities that make visible with the perspective of risk division and fear culture within the context of a world-risk society. It is expected to contribute to the literature using referring to equalizer elements along with inequalities that the virus created in society. This study was fulfilled as a case study that was designed as a qualitative research pattern. Multiple situation analysis was done during the pandemic. Questions about working conditions, the area in which the pandemic period time was spent, risk management, vaccine, and media themes were asked of participants in the field interviews. In-depth interviews were made with a sum of 25 participants via a semi-structured interview questionnaire. Findings which were obtained from the field study were analyzed with a thematic strategy. As a result of these interviews, the inference was made that the Covid-19 pandemic produced an effect of societal trauma and that the risk affected everyone, and know no bounds regardless of village or city. Fear of death, economical worries, and the fear of obscurity were felt in society. Besides these commonalities, inequalities according to working conditions especially emerged. And the reflection of the risk to daily life led to the requestioning for the bond of humans towards its social environment and nature. Keywords: Covid-19, Risk Society, Culture of Fear, Equality, Inequality.