Contagion

The movie "Contagion" is analyzed in this project as a case study of how social issues are portrayed in film. It depicts a global epidemic and explores social, political, and economic impacts. The film focuses on the rapid spread of the virus, the struggle to contain it, and how fear, misinformation, and bureaucracy hinder the response. Social inequalities, access to healthcare, and economic disparities are examined. The film also looks at social control, the role of misinformation, and individual versus collective responsibilities. A sociological analysis can provide insight into these issues and their real-world implications. I chose to analyze Contagion for this project because it provides an interesting case study of how social issues can be examined through film. Contagion is a medical thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh that depicts a worldwide epidemic of infectious virus and its social, political, and economic impacts. The film is set in multiple locations around the world and follows several main characters, including CDC Epidemiologist, Dr. Ellis Shrive, WHO Epidemiologist, Dr. Leona Orfinas, CDC Investigator, Dr. Aaron Mears, blogger, Alan Krumwied, and Mitch Immenhaus, who's wife is patient zero. The plot centers on the rapid spread of the virus and the struggle to contain it while also examining how fear, misinformation, and bureaucracy impede the response. There's several major social issues explored in Contagion that a sociological analysis can provide insight into. A core theme is the social inequalities that emerge and are exposed during the pandemic. For example, access to healthcare, vulnerable populations, and economic disparities shape people's risk and outcomes. The film also looks at issues of social control, examining the restrictions on their freedom of expression, and social interactions being necessary to control the outbreak. Additionally, the role of misinformation and unsubstantiated claims during the crisis is highlighted through the blogger character, Krumwied. A sociological lens can illuminate how these issues may affect in the film and relate to real-world pandemics. Some specific sociology questions I'm interested in exploring are, how does the film portray public trust in institutions like the CDC? What does it suggest about individual versus collective responsibilities during a pandemic? How does it depict social norms and deviance in the face of extreme threats? Examining the film from a sociological perspective can provide insight into these issues around health, governance, information, and social order that a fictional pandemic brings to the surface. My aim is to connect systems control to sociological concepts that we can learn about pro-human behavior in extreme events.