Since December 2019, life on earth has changed in so many directions for humans. Given the spread of COVID19 around the globe, almost half of the world went under lockdown. The economic and social order of the countries almost broke down. Now people of the world are adapting to the new normal and trying to get used to it.
This changing situation and the new normal has brought some unique challenges for us social scientists. Given the social distancing and imitated mobility, it is going to be difficult for us the social scientists to work under new normal. Because we collect data from people, and while doing fieldwork, we try to understand the body language of the respondents. Since everything is going to be done under lockdown and social distancing, it is going to be challenging for the researchers to adopt the new normal.
Lockdown
If everything remains under lockdown, then how the researchers can go outside and meet the people, they want to study and talk with them. Even if you possibly can go out how the people you want to study. Many countries have strict restrictions on going outside of their homes.
Social Distancing
Social distancing is the key not to get infected with COVID19. Because if you are going into the crowed then meeting new people every day then there is a big possibility that you might get infected. This social distancing has brought the biggest challenge for us who conduct their research based on fieldwork.
Face Mask
Another challenge is the 'face mask' for the new normal.
According to the Criminal Code of Procedure (CrPC) of Bangladesh section 401 (1), a government can temporarily postpone the penalty of any imprisoned criminal if they want. Based on this rule, the current Bangladesh Government has released BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia after 776 days. The government, through an executive order to release her for six months on conditions.
On the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, the BNP chief was sent to jail on February 08, 2018. The special court sentenced her in prison for five years in the case. Then she got another sentence for ten years of imprisonment on the matter of October 30, 2018, on Zia Charitable Trust Case. In total, she got 17 years of imprisonment in two different cases. There are 35 more cases against her name, which are under the trail.
After she was sent to prison, party leaders have threatened to take on the streets and fight legally to release her. After the party leaders have failed, the family members have urged the government to release her on bail. There were three different ways (bail, parole, and temporary postpone of punishment) government was considering to release her.
However, there was no indication of her release until she was released because AL was trying to take political advantage of the issue. Until the COVID-19 crisis in the world and Bangladesh, AL published her on ‘humanitarian’ ground. And they think it is their political victory.
With her release, she was given two conditions.
Recently the reporters without borders, also known as Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) published the World Press Freedom Index. As an organization, RSF has its indicators for making the index. Norway stands on the top of the list, and from the opposite side of the RSF, North Korea stands at the bottom of the list on number 180. The list followed by Turkmenistan, Eritrea, and China. All these countries' press faces extreme suppression from the current regimes of those countries. In many cases, journalists are the leading collateral victims of the oppression from the power party and even killed by the state security forces.
Bangladesh stands on number 151, which is the worst among the South Asian nations. This continued for the last two consecutive years. Last year, Bangladesh slipped four steps and became the lowest scorers among the South Asian Nations. Nevertheless, India and Pakistan stand on number 142 and 145 respectively and a little above Bangladesh. It has been documented that press in Bangladesh doesn't enjoy much freedom per se, and this recent report of RSF confirms it.
According to the report from RSF journalists are the collateral victim of the stricter rules of the current regime. Besides, the report states that radical Islamist militants harass and even murder journalists and bloggers. The Bangladesh government didn't press their reaction to this World Press Freedom Index yet. Criticizing the 2018 digital security law, the report also mentions that the coming decade will be pivotal for press freedom because of converging crises affecting the future of journalism.
The current piece is a guide book to the white supremacist world we are currently living in. Some of us don't understand their reason behind their privilege. They don't even recognize their privilege. To minimize the racism in the world and to bring changes here, your book can be a good start. In the book, he will have a better understanding to improve your idea of racism. Besides, it can make you feel that you should become allies to people of color if you want to understand anti-racism and who have benefited from the white supremacy, then this a book for you. For a better understanding of contemporary society and sociology, you can have a cursory reading of the book.
The author of the book Layla Saad is a writer, speaker, and podcast host. She is well known for her work on race and social change. Her Instagram challenge #MeAndWhiteSupremacy became a viral hit in 2018, and later she developed it as a book you are going to read. She did grow up in the UK, but currently, she is living in Doha, Qatar.
We live in a world where supremacy is defined by 'white. ' People take advantage of this privilege. Some people do understand it, and some people don't. When these privileged people engage with questions of anti-racism, sometimes it goes badly.
Since the western world is facing the long term effects of discrimination, I thought this review would help you to choose the next book on your reading list.
If you want to know about the fight against racism in modern America, this is the book for you by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor.
Black or colored experience is well discussed in the literature and academia in the USA. The book From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation (2016) talks about the long historical struggle of people of color in the USA. This current book is more of an up-to-date account of the movement. To know more about the reasons why the USA continues to fracture racism. In this current book, it discusses that black lives matter remain a potent force for change. The fight has been there for long, and it will take several centuries to end it. Now it is your time, and you will be able to know what you can do to be a part of the movement and bring a solution to the crisis.
If you are a social science student and studying race relations, then this can be a read for you. Besides, if you are an activist for social balance and want to know more about African-Americans and civil-rights, then you can have a look at the book. Furthermore, if you are interested in the black liberation movement, later try reading the book.
The author Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor is an assistant professor at Princeton University at the Department of African American Studies. She writes on Black politics, social movements, and racial inequality.
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