Numbers are not simply measurements. Often mobilized to support a certain political narrative, numbers contain underlying assumptions about what is important and how the world works. This is especially true when measures address public health issues. My project compares how numbers are politicized in two recent global health crises — the AIDS pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic — examines the cultural and historical significance of death and morbidity rates and identifies the relationships that exist among them. The primary method used was archival work that examined how measures of illness and death were created and debated. My search centered on the HIV/AIDS pandemic between the years 1981-1988 and January 2020 through August 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic while searching through the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. By analyzing how certain counts were depicted by news outlets and government officials, the discussion of those who are particularly susceptible, and how findings were presented, I found similarities and differences between these crises. In both cases, some groups that suffered disproportionate morbidity and mortality rates were deeply stigmatized.

Last modified

• 08/15/2020

Creator

• Natalie V. Simbolon

Contributors

• Espeland, Wendy (Mentor)

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-rvwc-5202

Language

• English

Keyword

• Numbers
• COVID-19
• AIDS
• Posner
• Politicization

Rights statement

• In Copyright