문학과 지성사

Kim Chanho, a sociologist who has been tracking everyday grammar that makes up modern society, talks about the sociology of connection and empathy among people’s hearts in the post-Corona era, looking back on the social changes caused by the pandemic.
According to Erving Goffman, “human social life consists of face-to-face interactions between individuals.” This proposition was right then, and is wrong now. The non face-to-face, or contactless world has rapidly expanded since COVID-19, and our living environment has changed accordingly. “Face-to-face” and “non-face-to-face” now combine and intersect in various ways; they not only break down existing hierarchies and practices, but also create a “new normal.”
While taking a broader view of the changes in the pandemic era, this book looks back on what the pandemic has done to individuals and society, and on what aftermath it left in terms of social relations. As the non-face-to-face world expands rapidly and becomes more diverse, it is not easy to understand the current social relationships enough with the concepts of face-to face and non-face-to-face. Therefore, Kim adds in this book another key concept: “facing away.” While exploring under what social conditions can boost our immune system—which has yet again become important—Kim emphasizes that it is urgent for the society to provide its members with a variety of opportunities to connect one another, and to form a new basis for itself.
To Kim, the post-Corona era can be an opportunity to awaken the unexpected potential within us. He asks us to check our common sense to reorganize our daily lives; how can we restore the social space where hearts are connected? In what way can we fix up our collapsed lives and restore the society? Looking back at the end of the tunnel of disasters, which we have come through, Kim recommends us to reflect on the lessons we have already learned along the way.