1. How does the concept of "moral panic" apply to viral pandemics? Under what criteria would the COVID-19 pandemic be considered to be a legitimate social problem or a moral panic? How would we determine the difference and calculate the relative risk to determine if a social issue is a chronic social problem or a political driven moral panic? Use specific examples to illustrate your answer.

2. To what extent was the tragedy at the Okawa Elementary depicted by Richard Lloyd Parry in his book “Ghosts of the Tsunami,” bounded by Japanese cultural traits and values? How is this evident in the school administrators’ initial response, their subsequent interaction with parents of the lost children and in the legal proceedings? What are the pitfalls of “playing the culture card” to explain the causes of this tragic disaster? (refer to Simon Winchester's critique of Parry's book when answering this question, and Parry’s response to Simon's critique.