Solidarity and Community: Collaborative Learning in Times of Crisis
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Cripps Clark J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7647883 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:This article examines the trends and differences in predictors of public support for European Union (EU) fiscal solidarity using two individual surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020, before and during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, in six Western European countries. We focus on individual self-interest and European/national identification as the two major determinants of public preference formation. Empirical analyses show that, while the average level of public support for European fiscal solidarity did not change from 2019 to 2020, the negative associations between exclusive national identification and economic vulnerability, on the one hand, and EU fiscal solidarity on the other were weakened. Among both, the identitarian source retained substantive (although reduced) relevance in 2020, while utility did not. Country-level analyses reveal a more complex picture, but the overall pattern holds across the member states included in our sample. We argue that the reduced explanatory power of these typical heuristics that individuals use to shape their attitudes towards European solidarity is connected to the nature of the pandemic as an exogenous ‘common crisis’, affecting all member states in a supposedly symmetric manner, at least in the first phase, and inducing interdependencies among them. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41295-023-00332-w.
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Project description:In the event of the Covid-19 spread, the entire world has been brought to a stop due to the imposed lockdown, to counter the effects of the spreading virus. This paper proposes to study the change in how people are experiencing a pandemic very differently and what such changes imply with respect to social connections and human interactions. The networked digital citizens come together in the time of crisis, sharing a sense of nostalgia as well as perseverance on Facebook. The paper will refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in order to explain the human need for the sense of belonging. A pandemic has not been experienced in earlier time as a global phenomenon with far reaching consequences as in the present context. People across the world are experiencing a similar form of loneliness, boredom, and anxiety irrespective of which profession one belongs to. The absence of physical movement has suddenly caused a great shift of interaction on to the Facebook platform. The corner stone for virtual social interaction had already been laid down with the rise of a ‘convergence culture’. Social communities depicting shared interests like music, dance, photography, food, and other aspects of life have been redesigned and restructured as a result of the lockdown. More and more people are sharing videos of activities they are engaging in during this time of immobility. A greater focus of family experiences are being shared by celebrities, creating a semblance of solidarity in fighting against the psychological effects of a long term lockdown. The provision of the care button on Facebook also intensifies this sense of a shared trauma and the human desire to overcome all hurdles together. The paper will focus on a number of Facebook trends, beginning from Dalgona coffee and its perception to music covers of popular songs such as ‘Dance Monkey’ and Bella Ciao. The historical meaning associated with the term ‘crisis’ is being redefined in a social context which greatly based on a networked population. This has an entirely different social and psychological implication. Analysing the Facebook updates will go a long way in understanding the term ‘crisis’ with respect to the time of Corona.
| S-EPMC7816138 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background/Objective: The changes to medical studies that became necessary as part of the Corona pandemic have also forced considerable adjustments in Neurology. Classroom teaching had to be converted almost entirely to digital formats within a short period of time. The present study provides an overview of the respective changes and associated complications as well as opportunities in teaching Neurology. Methodology: Lecturers in Neurology at all University hospitals in Germany were asked about their approach and the individual changes in their curriculum. Of a total of 39 locations, 23 answered the online questionnaire (see attachment 1). Results: While frontal teaching and lectures could be carried out digitally without any problems, difficulties arose especially in learning physical examination and bedside teaching. Most of the participants stated that they had not found satisfactory e-learning formats to replace teaching at the patients bed. Conclusion: The ad hoc changes in teaching Neurology resulted in significant additional effort for the part of lecturers, but were generally well accepted by students. The Corona pandemic thus ultimately offers an opportunity to enrich teaching in Neurology.
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Project description:The surprising social phenomena of the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movement posit the question of whether the active role of committed groups may produce political changes of significant importance. Under what conditions are the convictions of a minority going to dominate the future direction of a society? We address this question with the help of a Cooperative Decision Making model (CDMM) which has been shown to generate consensus through a phase-transition process. We observe that in a system of a finite size the global consensus state is not permanent and times of crisis occur when there is an ambiguity concerning a given social issue. The correlation function within the cooperative system becomes similarly extended as it is observed at criticality. This combination of independence (free will) and long-range correlation makes it possible for very small but committed minorities to produce substantial changes in social consensus.
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Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic causes museums to seek financial aid from corporate sponsors. However, corporate sponsorship may have negative consequences for museums in terms of their authenticity. In this study, we therefore examine whether the extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 crisis change tourists' perceptions of corporate sponsorship. Indeed, we find that tourists react more positively to corporate sponsorship if the health crisis is salient. Moreover, we show that corporate sponsorship by multiple smaller- and medium-sized companies generates more positive outcomes for museums than the effort of a single large company, in terms of perceived authenticity loss, visiting intentions, and willingness to pay.
| S-EPMC7526523 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objectives:This study implemented a series of meetings in one rural community struggling with the opioid crisis. Set in the town of Ardmore, Oklahoma, these meetings presented local residents who dealt with the crisis as part of their jobs with four categories of programs aimed at preventing and treating opioid-related issues. The ultimate goal was for the participants to develop a consensus about where resources should be appropriated in the future, based off the needs of the area. Methods:Three community meetings were held over a six-week period, with an average of 40 attendees. Data was collected through surveys, study circles, and a participant voting exercise. Surveys were distributed at the beginning and end of the meetings to determine if participant views changed over the course of the study. Study circles broke participants into small groups and prompted them with questions regarding the crisis to encourage group discussion. The participant voting exercise allowed participants to note where they would like future resources to be directed. Findings:Listening to experts and holding group discussions led to changes in opinions for some participants. Most felt that the most pressing need was to provide accessible opioid treatment options in their community. Youth-based prevention efforts were also noted as being a program that the community should focus on. Conclusions:Local perceptions of the most appropriate strategies for combatting the rural opioid crisis can change with group discussions alongside others who are actively involved with this issue. Future research should actively involve affected communities in order to develop relevant and accepted action plans.
| S-EPMC7446270 | biostudies-literature
Project description:As Syria enters its fifth year of conflict, the number of civilians killed and injured continues to rise sharply. Along with this conflict comes the rapid decline of medical care, specifically cancer care. To determine physician and equipment availability, cancer screening and management, and possible solutions relative to various major cities, a survey was distributed to physicians inside Syria through the help of the humanitarian organization Syrian American Medical Society.Online surveys were distributed to both certified oncologists who work in cancer clinics and general physicians who work in rural and mobile clinics inside Syria. Variables assessed were physician specialty, location, population, cost, regional situation (besieged versus government controlled), and resource availability and access. Results were stratified by location and physician specialty.Survey results revealed a large shortage of specialized physicians and inhibited accessibility to screening and management options in besieged areas compared with government-controlled regions. Physicians within both government-controlled and besieged cities reported limited or no targeted agents, radiation therapy, clinical trials, bone marrow transplantation, positron emission tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic testing.The Syrian civil war has resulted in suboptimal oncology care in the majority of the region. In consideration of specific deficiencies in cancer care, we recommend several solutions that may better the level of care in Syria: patient education on medical documentation and self-examination; online consultation; and cheap, effective screening methods. The implementation of these recommendations may change the course of cancer care in a country that has deteriorated into the worst humanitarian crisis of the century.
| S-EPMC5560458 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:The public health response to Zika outbreak has mostly focused on epidemiological surveillance, vector control, and individual level preventative measures. This qualitative study employs a social-ecological framework to examine how macro (historical, legislative, political, socio-economic factors), meso (sources of information, social support, social mobilization) and micro level factors (individual actions, behavioral changes) interacted to influence the response and behavior of women with respect to Zika in different contexts. METHODS:A qualitative study was carried out. Women were recruited through the snowball sampling technique from various locations in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the United States. They were of different nationalities and ethnicities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS:Women in this study deemed the information provided as insufficient, which led them to actively reach out and access a variety of media sources. Social networks played a vital role in sharing information but also resulted in the spread of hoaxes or rumors. Participants in our research perceived socio-economic inequities but focused on how to remedy their microenvironments. They did not engage in major social activities. Lack of trust in governments placed women in vulnerable situations by preventing them to follow the guidance of health authorities. These impacts were also a result of the response tactics of health and government administrations in their failed attempts to ensure the well-being of their countries' populations. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings call for public health interventions that go beyond individual level behavioral change campaigns, to more comprehensively address the broader meso and macro level factors that influence women' willingness and possibility to protect themselves.
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Project description:This article presents the framework and explores the measurement, correlates, and outcomes of creative adaptability (CA), proposed here as the cognitive-behavioral-emotional ability to respond creatively and adaptively to stressful situations. Data collection was in April 2020, during the peak of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Israel. In Study 1, a sample of 310 adults completed the newly developed CA scale, as well as spontaneity, openness to experience, creative self-efficacy, and well-being measurements. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses corroborated the 9-item CA scale's theorized underlying construct. The scale's validity and reliability were also supported. Exploratory analyses suggested that the association between CA and well-being was mediated by creative self-efficacy and that CA may buffer the impact of individuals' concern about Coronavirus on their well-being. In Study 2, short-term longitudinal data based on a sample of 71 students suggested that CA may predict lower psychological stress over time. Support for the CA scale's internal consistency reliability was obtained and its test-retest reliability was established. Overall, the results shed light on this new construct as a potential protective factor. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
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Project description: Not available
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