scholarly journals Boundaries of solidarity: a meta-ethnography of mask use during past epidemics to inform SARS-CoV-2 suppression

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e004068
Author(s):  
Po Man Tsang ◽  
Audrey Prost
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Collective Levels ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
The Usa

BackgroundMany countries aiming to suppress SARS-CoV-2 recommend the use of face masks by the general public. The social meanings attached to masks may influence their use, but remain underinvestigated.MethodsWe systematically searched eight databases for studies containing qualitative data on public mask use during past epidemics, and used meta-ethnography to explore their social meanings. We compared key concepts within and across studies, then jointly wrote a critical synthesis.ResultsWe found nine studies from China (n=5), Japan (n=1), Mexico (n=1), South Africa (n=1) and the USA (n=1). All studies describing routine mask use during epidemics were from East Asia. Participants identified masks as symbols of solidarity, civic responsibility and an allegiance to science. This effect was amplified by heightened risk perception (eg, during SARS in 2003), and by seeing masks on political leaders and in outdoor public spaces. Masks also acted as containment devices to manage threats to identity at personal and collective levels. In China and Japan, public and corporate campaigns framed routine mask use as individual responsibility for disease prevention in return for state- or corporate-sponsored healthcare access. In most studies, mask use waned as risk perception fell. In contexts where masks were mostly worn by patients with specific diseases (eg, for patients with tuberculosis in South Africa), or when trust in government was low (eg, during H1N1 in Mexico), participants described masks as stigmatising, uncomfortable or oppressive.ConclusionFace masks can take on positive social meanings linked to solidarity and altruism during epidemics. Unfortunately, these positive meanings can fail to take hold when risk perception falls, rules are seen as complex or unfair, and trust in government is low. At such times, ensuring continued use is likely to require additional efforts to promote locally appropriate positive social meanings, simplifying rules for use and ensuring fair enforcement.

Concepts of Reading in South African Promotion Campaigns

Mousaion ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Le Roux
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
Dominant Ideologies ◽  
Words And Images ◽  
Promotion Campaigns ◽  
Social Uses ◽  
Reading Promotion

Amid ongoing concerns about the reading decline, the lack of a “reading culture” and children not reading enough, a variety of solutions are put forward, largely in the form of reading promotion campaigns. These campaigns are seldom sustainable, usually owing to sporadic funding. However, this paper considers whether another factor that affects the sustainability of such campaigns has to do with how they are conceptualised, and whether it is a mismatch between aims and outcomes. Working from a theoretical perspective of the social uses of literacy, the paper examines discourses around reading and how they reflect certain dominant ideologies, social meanings and values. Based on a content analysis of the main publicity, communications and speeches associated with some of the dominant reading promotion campaigns in South Africa, the paper examines the words and images being used to promote reading, and how these affect the evaluation of such reading campaigns.

scholarly journals Values in risk perception - Studying the relationship between values and risk perception in three countries

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Nordenstedt ◽  
Jelena Ivanisevic
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Motivational Values ◽  
The Relationship

Risk perception research has largely focused on finding how di$erent demographic variables predict risk perception dimensions. This article suggests including motivational values among the areas of focus, being a dimension shared across different demographical contexts. The methodology includes established and scrutinised tools from the values and risk perception fields respectively, combining them in a questionnaire. Data were gathered from South Africa, Sweden and the USA. The results support the hypothesis that there is a connection between motivational values and risk perception dimensions. Uses for disaster management are discussed. More advanced statistical methods and qualitative methods are suggested to delve deeper into this area.

Socio-economic challenges faced by traditional healers in Limpopo province of South Africa: conversations from below

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-322
Author(s):  
Mogomme Alpheus Masoga ◽  
Allucia Lulu Shokane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Traditional Healing ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa

Traditional healing remains core to many local communities in South Africa. This research was aimed at fostering stronger relationships between traditional healers and biomedical medicine focusing on their socio-economic challenges. This research involved collaboration between two Universities in South Africa and the USA, focusing on the social welfare and traditional healing, by articulating the experiences and positions of 40 selected traditional healers. Afro-sensed and developmental social welfare approaches were used for this study. Qualitative research approaches using focus group discussions, direct observations and in-depth interviews with selected traditional healers were applied. A thematic analysis approach was used to cluster emerging themes and sub-themes. Carefully presented themes were sifted from the data that referred to traditional healers’ experiences of their socio-economic realities. It should be noted that, while the socio-economic status of healers was significant, the scope of spiritual and philosophical dimensions related to traditional healing could not be ignored.

scholarly journals Social meaning in the mirror of political correctness

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-399
Author(s):  
Valeria E. Chernyavskaya ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Correctness ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Social Meaning ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
The Usa

The article addresses two central notions, namely social meaning and political correctness. The concept of social meaning is well known in “third wave” sociolinguistics, which connects patterns of language variation with the wider social world, in metapragmatics after Michael Silverstein, language ideology research and discourse analysis. The analysis is in line with these research approaches and also reflects back the pragmatic interpretation of social meanings. It is presumed that the social meaning of a word or an utterance is indexical in its nature and conveys information about the social context of language use. Social meaning of an utterance reflects its social embeddedness. In this respect, the perspective of political correctness reflects the discursive process of social indexicality and social meaning making. The article examines modern cases of political correctness (PC) in the USA (2017–2020) to show the effects of discursive pressure on interpretation frames. PC is discussed as a controversial practice and it is aimed at avoiding expressions or actions that can be perceived to marginalize or insult socially disadvantaged and discriminated people. At the same time, it can overpoliticize issues and act as a struggle against implicit meanings and implicatures.

Social Design for Services Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie SARANTOU ◽  
Satu MIETTINEN
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Social Design ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

This paper addresses the fields of social and service design in development contexts, practice-based and constructive design research. A framework for social design for services will be explored through the survey of existing literature, specifically by drawing on eight doctoral theses that were produced by the World Design research group. The work of World Design researcher-designers was guided by a strong ethos of social and service design for development in marginalised communities. The paper also draws on a case study in Namibia and South Africa titled ‘My Dream World’. This case study presents a good example of how the social design for services framework functions in practice during experimentation and research in the field. The social design for services framework transfers the World Design group’s research results into practical action, providing a tool for the facilitation of design and research processes for sustainable development in marginal contexts.

The Logic of Affect

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Markwica
Keyword(s):  
Choice Behavior ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Coercive Diplomacy ◽  
Limited Ability ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
Alternative Action ◽  
Action Model

Chapter 2 develops the logic of affect, or emotional choice theory, as an alternative action model besides the traditional logics of consequences and appropriateness. Drawing on research in psychology and sociology, the model captures not only the social nature of emotions but also their bodily and dynamic character. It posits that the interplay between identities, norms, and five key emotions—fear, anger, hope, pride, and humiliation—can shape decision-making in profound ways. The chapter derives a series of propositions how these five key emotions tend to influence the choice behavior of political leaders whose countries are targeted by coercive diplomacy. These propositions specify the affective conditions under which target leaders are likely to accept or reject a coercer’s demands. Even when emotions produce powerful impulses, humans will not necessarily act on them, however. The chapter thus also incorporates decision-makers’ limited ability to regulate their emotions into the logic of affect.

scholarly journals Measuring HIV Risk Perception and Behavior: Results from Round 1 of the Cognitive Interviewing Project with young women and men who have sex with men in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2307-2318
Author(s):  
Jessica Milne ◽  
Hannah Brady ◽  
Thembekile Shato ◽  
Danielle Bohn ◽  
Makhosazana Mdladla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
Cognitive Interviewing ◽  
Hiv Risk Perception ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
And Behavior

Rescuing Migrants in the Central Mediterranean: The Emergence of a New Civil Humanitarianism at the Maritime Border

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 436-455
Author(s):  
Marta Esperti
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
International Organization ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
Humanitarian Space ◽  
First Arrival

The Central Mediterranean is the most deadly body of water in the Mediterranean Sea with at least 15,062 fatalities recorded by International Organization of Migration between 2014 and 2018. This article aims at highlighting the rise of a variety of new civil society actors engaged in the rescue of people undertaking dangerous journeys across the sea in the attempt of reaching the southern European shores. The peculiarity of the humanitarian space at sea and its political relevance are pointed out to illustrate the unfolding of the maritime border management on the Central Mediterranean route and its relation with the activity of the civil society rescue vessels. The theoretical aspiration of the article is to question the role of a proactive civil humanitarianism at sea, discussing the emergence of different political and social meanings around humanitarianism at the EU’s southern maritime border. In recent years, the increasing presence of new citizens-based organizations at sea challenges the nexus between humanitarian and emergency approaches adopted to implement security-oriented policies. This essay draws on the findings of a broader comparative work on a variety of civil society actors engaged in the search and rescue operations on the maritime route between Libya and Europe, focusing in particular on Italy as country of first arrival. The fieldwork covers a period of time going between 2016 and 2018. The research methodology is built on a multisited ethnography, the conduct of semidirective and informal interviews with both state and nonstate actors, and the analysis of various reports unraveling the social and political tensions around rescue at sea on the Central Mediterranean route.

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