Covid – 19 Epidemic in Vietnam: Social Solidarity and Linguistic Prevention
Author: Dang Thi Dieu Trang (Institute of Vietnamese Culture Studies)
Speaker: Dang Thi Dieu Trang
Topic: Applied Sociolinguistics
The GLOCAL CALA 2022 Poster Session
Abstract
One of the typical characteristics of contemporary folk culture is topicality, reflecting existing problems in social life in general. The recent pandemic covid-19 has disturbed the lives of people in most countries in the world as well as in Vietnam. Words circulated on the media, social networking sites, on public propaganda slogans or in modified lyrics … play an important role in inspiring positively to each people, conveying messages about the sense of epidemic prevention and fighting, strongly inspiring, contributing to encouraging the whole society to unite together to win the pandemic. This article explores social solidarity through anti-covid-19 circulating words in Vietnam to point out the factors that create the basis for solidarity, the issue of solidarity seen from Vietnamese cultural traditions also as the role of the state in promoting unity. The article shows that social solidarity is built on the basis of sharing common values with ethical conventions, ways of life, and behavior of individuals and communities on the basis of traditional Vietnamese culture. possibly reflected in Vietnamese proverbs and folk words. Threats of infectious disease have caused people to experience together insecurity in life, and this creates common interests for themselves, connecting people in social unity. Solidarity emerged as a key concept that emphasized interdependence in society, allowing individuals to see that they could provide safety to others by protecting themselves. Although there are common interests, social solidarity with diversity of individuals in society is not a single entity but includes different individuals, different social community networks. This makes it difficult to have common actions and ideas. Therefore, the state has a role in promoting the connection between the media, political institutions and the people in fully updating epidemic information, closely following the process of effective anti-epidemic. The mass media in Vietnam is considered as one of the legal channels of information by the state to the people about the prevention of covid-19 in order to strengthen social solidarity by calling on people to unanimously, join hands to prevent epidemics. The interaction of trust, mutual affection and the need for safety are factors that promote social solidarity. The bond between the state and people during the Covid-19 pandemic was built on the basis of shared symbols of patriotism, responsibility with the social community, and “insured” belief of safety of the people towards the state in epidemic prevention.
Keywords: COVID-19, Vietnam, Folk, Culture, Solidarity, Social safety