New Emerging Social and

Cultural Issues During Covid-

19 Pandemic
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

Table of contents

Introduction

New emerging Social Issues

Insufficient Job Opportunities

Increasing of Online Business

Virtual learning the great challenged to the education

New Emerging Cultural Issues

Online shopping and food delivery

Become a New Emerging Cultural Issue Implementation of Social
Distancing and home quarantine

Conclusion
 Introduction:

COVID-19 pandemic the world biggest event that cut a lot of innocent life. The

COVID-19 Virus is not ordinary virus that people usually encounter. Even the health

experts are hard to defined this virus and they were shocked when this virus immediate

exist. No one expect that this virus can be spread worldwide and become threat to the

life of each individuals. According to Bill Gates There are two reasons that COVID-19 is

such a threat. First, it can kill healthy adults in addition to elderly people with existing

health problems. second, COVID-19 is transmitted quite efficiently. The average

infected person spreads the disease to two or three others — an exponential rate of

increase. There is also strong evidence that it can be transmitted by people who are just

mildly ill or even presymptomatic1. This is not ordinary events that we usually,

encounter. Our world is being treated by this virus not only in our health but, in every

aspect of life.

The time when this Pandemic started it gives a remarkable and big impact to the

history of human being living this time. Its gradually change the structure the way of life

of a human being especially, how they deal in the society. A lot of new events in the life

of people that we are facing during the pandemic. a lot of new issues has been

emerged on the society that can affect the personal needs of the people.

The content of this paper is about the new emerging issues that exist during the

COVID-19 Pandemic shake the world. This paper aimed to discuss the new emerging

social and cultural issues. What are the effects of COVID-19 pandemic that this social

1
Gates, B. (2020) Responding to Covid-19 — A Once-in-a-Century Pandemic?
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

and cultural issues have been exist in our world as of today? Lastly this paper aimed to

address what are those new emerging social and cultural issues.

I. New Emerging Social Issues

COVID-19 pandemic has been hijacked by a new crisis that no one expect this

would be happening. The COVID-19 pandemic affects the life of all people I terms of

their living. As this pandemic exist for a long time a lot of new social issues has been

emerged. Social issues are referring to the issue that affect to the social life of a person.

Kickbusch et al. (2020) portrayed three linked platforms on which COVID-19 had severe

negative impacts, namely, health and wellbeing, social welfare and global economy.
2
According to oxford bibliographies the term “social problem” or social issues is usually

taken to refer to social conditions that disrupt or damage society. this approach—

sometimes called constructionist—defines social problem in terms of a process, rather

than a type of condition. It focuses on how and why people come to understand that

some conditions ought to be viewed as a social problem, that is, how they socially

construct social problems. Typically, the social problems process begins with

claimsmakers who make claims that some condition ought to be considered a problem,

that this problem should be understood in particular ways, and that it needs to be

2
Kickbusch et al. (2020). Counting the Cost  of COVID-19 on the Global  Tourism Industry.  Springer Nature Switzerland.
addressed.3 Every aspect of the societal issues can be a threat for the people by the

sense that I would give an impact of distraction towards the society. In this time of the

Pandemic social issues is worse than before and there’s a new emerging issue that can

be change the structure of human living in the society. By the new emerging social

issue be a burden to the life of every individual. There is a difficulty to adjust in the new

things happened in the society especially, to deal this new emerging social issue during

the pandemic.

A. Insufficient Job Opportunities

Most of the employers and workers are the most affected with the COVID-19

pandemic. Malls, institution, offices, business establishments and even some

government of offices has been close to secure the safety of all employers and workers.

The closure of those workplace affects the way of living of the workers and employers

because some didn’t have salary to sustain their daily needs and some has no

opportunities to have a job. Negative trends may have accelerated at a greater rate. For

decades, economists have been warning that economic inequality was deepening, while

economic mobility was declining. An economy with uncomfortable underlying trends has

morphed to a dystopia. (GALLOWAY, S. 2020) 4 The closure of the workplace is the loss

of job opportunities to those who need a job and enough source of income during this

time of pandemic. That instances, leads to a new emerging social issue under the

economics factor of the society. According to Baldwin,R. and Weder, B. (2020) From

an economic perspective, the closures and travel bans reduce productivity directly in a

3
Oxford bibliography, social problem. Retrieved from (December 05, 2020)
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0052.xml
4
GALLOWAY, S (2020). Post Corona From crisis to opportunity, Penguin Random House LLC. Pg.
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

5
way that is akin to temporary drops in employment. Many of the employer suffered to

the loss of job. These may be cause to a poverty to those who had lost their job and to

those who apply to have a job. COVID-19 is spreading human suffering worldwide; We

are economists – and COVID-19 is most definitely spreading economic suffering

worldwide. Economic suffering can be cause to a poverty to the society. The vulnerable

become more vulnerable in the sense that they cannot acquire what they need

especially, to the opportunities to have a job and resources to sustain their needs.

B. Increasing of Online Business

Online shopping is a growing business around the globe and approximately 41

percent of global internet users have purchased products online in 2013 6. But online

business during the COVID-19 pandemic become a trend to everyone grow bigger than

before. Easy to shop and pick the items that is benign to eye and what the people want.

The transaction between the costumer and the supplier is done in the front cellphone,

laptop and computer monitor. The connection within the costumers and supplier is not

just so genuine and have a barrier. The connectivity is important to the business if

connectivity is would lead to an issue within the business. connectivity become a new

issue that the increasing of online business. According to Kotler, P. et al. (2017)

Connectivity has made us question many mainstream theories and major assumptions

that we have learned about customer, product, and brand management. Connectivity
5
Baldwin,R. and Weder, B. (2020). Economics in the Time of Covid-19 Centre for Economic Policy Research 33 Great Sutton
Street London. Pg. 13
6
Ansari, Z. (2018) Socio Cultural Influences on Online Shopping Behaviour, College of Business and Economics, Qassim
University, Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from: (December 09 2020) https://jbrmr.com/cdn/article_file/2018-12-12-11-58-39-AM.pdf
significantly reduces the costs of interaction among companies, employees, channel

partners, customers, and other relevant parties. This in turn lowers the barriers to

entering new markets, enables concurrent product development, and shortens the time

frame for brand building.7 by the closure of malls and business establishment during the

COVID-19 pandemic online business is the primary source of people to buy the items,

foods etc., that they want. But online business brought a new emerging social issue in

terms of economic and the way people behave.

Existence of online business and a wide spreading of it during the COVID-19

pandemic. 22% of global retail sales will be thanks to ecommerce by 2023. To give

context to this growth, 14.1% of global retail sales were ecommerce purchases in

2019.The growing number of ecommerce websites is definitely a contributing factor to

this holistic number. But, there are many more ecommerce trends, in addition to those

listed earlier, that are igniting this growth. 8 (Estay, B. 2020). The increase and growth of

online business. The small businesses are the most affected of it. People prefer to shop

online than to shop in the store. Shopping online less effort, less money to spent for

transformation and less time to shop. The pandemic has accelerated several years’

worth of change into the span of a few months, and this rapid acceleration of the shift to

digital payments also means that businesses need to go through a digital transformation

and adapt to changing consumers’ behaviors. 9That’s why more small business suffered

for the low income compared before. Especially this time COVID-19 pandemic most of
7
Kotler, P. et. Al. (2017). Marketing 4.0 Moving from traditional to Digital, Canada.

8
Estay, B. (2020). 6 Online Shopping Statistics: How Many People Shop Online?. Retrieved from (December 08, 2020)
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/online-shopping-statistics/#5-essential-online-shopping-statistics
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

the small business is experience big deficit within their business. This may be causing

that the small business and other establishment will be close because their incomes are

failure or deficit. The poverty will increase also and a lot of employer and work loss their

job. employment includes job placements for gas stations, car dealers, and other

establishments that are less vulnerable to the e-commerce wave, the focus should be

on department store. employees that are incredibly susceptible to the competition from

the online stores.  These department stores have also seen greater job losses than

other types of retailers in recent years and seem to be among the most vulnerable to

the rise of online retail. ( Schmidtke, A. 2019)10

C. Virtual Learning the Great Challenge to The Education

Education play a vital role on the society; it is given that it promotes and form a

well knowledgeable person. Normally, education is done in schools, universities etc... or

a physical interaction of students and teachers that make the students to learn

comfortably. learners still prefer traditional face-to-face learning teaching modality and

believe that the face-to-face component is an imperative part in their learning

experience. For qualitative assignments requiring content integration and synthesis

9
Villanueva, J. 2020. Rise of online shopping nationwide, not just from metro, Philippines. Retrieved from (December 09, 2020)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112078

10
Schmidtke, A. 2019. How Online Shopping Affects the Economy. http://pewaukeeeconomics.blogspot.com/2019/09/how-online-
shopping-affects-economy.html
such as a research paper, the availability of supplementary resources and additional

interaction opportunities may have been useful in facilitating student comprehension,

synthesis, and application of course material. In addition, the additional component of

face-to-face interaction increase student opportunities for social presence and peer

interaction.11 (Yen, S. et. Al. 2018).

As COVID-19 Pandemic strike in our world the education of every individuals

has been challenged to stop the school year 2020-2021 until the further noticed that the

students are safe from any harm and threat of COVID-19. school is a space organized

by Pedagogy, a science that has emerged with highlighted importance in the pandemic

situation. The central issue is not the contrast or opposition of classroom teaching

versus distance learning, although this question was the first to surface in the

educational discourse in the early weeks of physical isolation. The use of technology to

ensure continuity of classes has shown that pedagogical knowledge is essential. The

mere use of available technologies is not sufficient to conduct the process of learning

for students of various ages submitted to classes from all areas of knowledge 12. (Lima,

E. 2020).

Most of the schools and institution address the issues that the school year 2020-

2021 must stop. A virtual learning is the alternative ways on how the education of the

students continued. Virtual learnings become new emerging issue that the society is

facing nowadays. According to United Nations 2020, the crisis is exacerbating pre-

existing education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many of the most

vulnerable children, youth, and adults – those living in poor or rural areas, girls,
11
Yen, S. et. Al. (2018), learning online, offline. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
12
Lima, E. Emergency curriculum for education. During and after the Pandemic. www.cepaos. or
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

refugees, persons with disabilities and forcibly displaced persons – to continue their

learning. Learning losses also threaten to extend beyond this generation and erase

decades of progress, not least in support of girls and young women’s educational

access and retention13. Not all people have access to this kind of learning process and a

lot of individuals decide to stop their education in this time of Pandemic. Some decide

to stop for the reason of they are scared to the virus but, to the reason that they have no

resources to be fit in the virtual learning. By this it would be fruit again to other issues to

the future because some people lost their opportunities to have a good education and

their future must be ruined.

The relationship of the teacher and students is affected also. Teacher didn’t

manage the class during online. The longing of teacher to the students to see face to

face is the problem of teachers during the covid-19 pandemic. longing for classroom

interaction and eye-contact. All are adapting to new platforms and trying to reach their

students virtually. hey miss their students terribly. The conversations reminded me why

the relationships teachers form with children — and vice versa — are so often the key to

educational success. The best teachers, the ones we all remember, are those who

inspire, give a push when needed and make sure we get back up when we fall. 14

(Strauss).

13
United Nation, (2020), Education during COVID-19 and Beyond
14
Strauss, V. (2020). How relationships between teachers and students are being tested in covid-19 crisis.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/22/how-relationships-between-teachers-students-are-being-tested-
covid-19-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR0aBUShRaIb7Xm0Olz9dssGNvnljgMP2x1xfCqxcDUrsnks79MsYhlT6JY
 Other new issues that emerge in this virtual learning that affect the education of

the students is the loss of interest and focused towards the discussion in the online

class. Along the with the technical issues. Few of the students distract themselves in the

virtual learning. During the online class, instead of virtual learning, some students

probably use computers for the other activities. For instance, some students, who use

computers. Possibly spend time on “social media websites, online shopping and the

other personal usage. 15(Nagaraju, P. 2020). By this the education does not make sense

at all during the Pandemic. Students is not able to learn well and participate to the class

rather than they do freely whatever they want in the other side of the monitor of their

computer or laptop. This made a big new issue that the students have a difficulty to

learn, this maybe to some students to be alienated to the topic that the teacher is given.

II. New Emerging Cultural Issues

Culture is social form and the way of life of the group of people. During the

Covid-19 Pandemic the culture of people has been challenged in the way they act and

behave in the society. cultural events cancelled, cultural institutions closed, community

cultural practices suspended, heightened risk of looting of cultural sites and poaching at

natural sites, artists unable to make ends meet and the cultural tourism sector greatly

affected… The impact of the COVID-19 on the cultural sector is being felt around the

world. 16UNESCO. Most of the countries change the way to practice their future. Culture

has been emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic is virtualized and human interaction is

prohibited. Culture is merely evolved in the way how it practices by the impact of

Covid19 pandemic. Religious gathering is doing online, sharing and other cultural
15
Nagaraju, P (2020). Virtual Learning: theatre in Education during COVID-19, BHAVAVEENA.
16
UNESCO. Culture & Covid19, impact and response. https://en.unesco.org/news/culture-covid-19-impact-and-response-tracker
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

activities is doing online. Although the presence of each other is in their but, the sense

of how to interact with each other is quite different and the usual thing. This cause to the

new emerging issue that affect the entire structure way of life. UNESDOC (2020). Any

inquiry into the specific role of cultural values in modern society raises the problem of

cultural development structures and their relationship to the global development

process.17

A. Online shopping and food delivery become a new emerging cultural issue.

Online shopping and online delivery become a trend and merely become a culture of

the people during the Covid-19 pandemic. With consumers resorting more to online

shopping amid pandemic restrictions, entrepreneurs have embraced the digital

phenomenon for online shopping even more. E-commerce websites such as Lazada

and Shopee are at the forefront of these online shopping platforms with expected

surges in sales revenues in millions of pesos. Technology has already transformed

online business transactions into an infinite marketplace where conducting business has

become more convenient and efficient for both vendors and vendees. The COVID-19

pandemic has

17
UNESDOC (2020). Problems of culture and cultural values in the contemporary world. Retrieved from (December 08,
2020) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000054681
 18
made this marketplace a more obvious necessity. (Arreola, R. 2020). The existence

of this phenomenon emerged a new cultural issue. People must prepare to shop online

or to deliver food from restaurant and any food store, that can be an issue on how

people change their behaviors towards going to malls and restaurant to socialized.

Many of the businesses change the strategy to get income by entering the to the virtual

world of business or the online business. People are just going to the apps that they can

shop or order food online. Picking a items and foods that they want a click to order

without further efforts. The culture of going to store is not basically practiced by people

because try is devoured by trends of shopping online and to deliver food from online

that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic.

B. Implementation of Social Distancing and Home Quarantine.

During the covid-19 pandemic the social and cultural events has been cancelled

and the human interaction is prohibited because of implementation of social distancing

and home quarantine. The practice of social distancing means staying home and away

from others as much as possible to help prevent spread of COVID-19. The practice

of social distancing encourages the use of things such as online video and phone

communication instead of in-person contact. people who have been exposed to the new

coronavirus and who are at risk for coming down with COVID-19 might practice self-

quarantine. Health experts recommend that self-quarantine lasts 14 days. Two weeks

provides enough time for them to know whether or not they will become ill and be

18
Arreola, R. (2020). The “New Normal” of Increased Online Business Transactions, and Revisiting Revenue
Memorandum Circular No. 55-2013. Retrieved From (December 09, 2020)
https://home.kpmg/ph/en/home/insights/2020/07/the-new-normal-of-increased-online-business-transactions.html.
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

contagious to other people. 19 By the implementation of those health protection protocol

affect the social and cultural aspect in the society and brought the new emerging issues

during the long period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost all of the celebration and mass gathering are prohibited. The religious

and cultural events and celebration has been stopped. Any religious and cultural events

are done online or didn’t practice any more during the COVID-19 pandemic. The

interaction and socialization of people is being jailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s

the problem why many of the new emerging issues that the human culture is facing.

Conclusion

Covid-19 Pandemic brought new emerging social and cultural issues. Those

issues affect the way of life of people and to the society. The points have been

discussed is the social issues in terms in economic and education. The insufficient job

opportunities and increasing the online business putting down to poverty of the small

establishments and business also the ordinary employers who needs a job to have a

source of income. The challenged in the new education system which is the virtual

learning or the online class put a barrier within the relationship of teachers and students.

Also, not all people have access and opportunities to be in this new system of learning.

The emerging of online shopping and food delivery also, the implementation of

social distancing and home quarantine become new emerging cultural issue that

19
Maragakis, L. (2020). Coronavirus, Social and Physical Distancing and Self-Quarantine, John Hopkins medicine. Retrieved
from (December 09, 2020) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social-
distancing-and-self-quarantine
change the way people behavior in the society. Therefore, this paper address and

introduce those new emerging issues during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bibliography:
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

Ansari, Z. (2018) Socio Cultural Influences on Online Shopping Behaviour,

College of Business and Economics, Qassim University,Saudi Arabia. Retrieved
from: (December 09 2020) https://jbrmr.com/cdn/article_file/2018-12-12-11-58-
39-AM.pdf
Arreola, R. (2020). The “New Normal” of Increased Online Business Transactions,
and Revisiting Revenue Memoradum CircularNo.55-2013. Retrieved From
(December 09, 2020) https://home.kpmg/ph/en/home/insights/2020/07/the-new-
normal-of-increased-online-business-transactions.html.
Baldwin,R. and Weder, B. (2020). Economics in the Time of Covid-19 Centre for
Economic Policy Research 33 Great Sutton Street London.

Estay, B. (2020). 6 Online Shopping Statistics: How Many People Shop Online?.
Retrieved from (December 08, 2020 https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/online-
shopping-statistics/#5-essential-online-shopping-statistics

Gates, B. (2020) Responding to Covid-19 — A Once-in-a-Century Pandemic?

GALLOWAY, S (2020). Post Corona From crisis to opportunity,

Penguin Random House LLC.

Kickbusch et al. (2020). Counting the Cost of COVID-19 on the Global Tourism Industry.
Springer Nature Switzerland.

Kotler, P. et. Al. (2017). Marketing 4.0 Moving from traditional to Digital, Canada.
Lima, E. Emergency curriculum for education. During and after the Pandemic.
www.cepaos. Or
Maragakis, L. (2020). Coronavirus, Social and Physical Distancing and Self-
Quarantine, John Hopkins medicine.Retrieved from (December 09, 2020)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-
diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social-distancing-and-self-quarantine.

Nagaraju, P (2020). Virtual Learning: theatre in Education during COVID-19,

BHAVAVEENA.

Oxford bibliography, social problem. Retrieved from (December 05, 2020)

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-
9780199756384-0052.xml.
Schmidtke, A. 2019. How Online Shopping Affects the Economy.
http://pewaukeeeconomics.blogspot.com/2019/09/how- online-shopping-
affects-economy.html

Strauss, V. (2020). How relationships between teachers and students are being tested
in covid 19crisis. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/22/how-
relationships-between-teachers-students-are-being-tested-covid-19- crisis/?
fbclid=IwAR0aBUShRaIb7Xm0Olz9dssGNvnljgMP2x1xfCqxcDUrsnk
s79MsYhlT6JY
UNESCO. Culture & Covid19, impact and response.
https://en.unesco.org/news/culture-covid-19-impact-and-response-tracker.

UNESDOC (2020). Problems of culture and cultural values in the contemporary world.
Retrieved from (December 08,
2020)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000054681.

United Nation, (2020), Education during COVID-19 and Beyond

Villanueva, J. 2020. Rise of online shopping nationwide, not just from metro,
Philippines. Retrieved from (December 09, 2020)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112078.

Yen, S. et. Al. (2018), learning online, offline. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506