Exploring the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic Social, Cultural, Economic, and Psychological Insights and Perspectives

This unique and topical book assesses the impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a multitude of different aspects of human life. With chapters from researchers from a diverse selection of countries, this new volume, Exploring the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social, Cultural, Economic, and Psychological Insights and Perspectives, provides an insightful understanding of the challenges and impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, health care, gender issues, education, social institutions, and more.

The diverse studies in this volume look at community responses and social challenges during COVID-19, covering topics such as social protection challenges and measures, the responsibility of the state to its citizens, and human rights and inhuman wrongs. The volume also examines health challenges and consequences of COVID-19, such as the impact on maternal and reproductive health, on mental health, the psychological effects of isolation, and more. The volume also includes studies on gender issues such as the plight of women migrant workers during the pandemic, feminist activism during quarantine, the impact on vulnerable groups of society, and how the pandemic affected interpersonal relations and behavior.

The volume also takes a look at the roles of different organizations and professions and their reactions to the health crisis, including police, journalists and the media, and educators. The issues of the closure of schools and colleges and remote learning are also addressed. There is even a mathematical study of optimum budget allocation for social projects to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

The enlightening volume provides an in-depth understanding of sociocultural responses to the COVID-19 and its consequences on society and will be of value to many sectors of society, including government and nongovernment organizations, policymakers and policy analysts, medical research organizations, schools and universities, healthcare practitioners, sociologists, and many others.

PART I: Community Responses and Social Challenges During COVID-19 1. ‘Confronting the Monster’: Exploring the Implementation of Social Protection Measures Amid COVID-19 in South Africa 2. The Responsibility of State in Combating COVID-19: The Experience of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Maldives 3. COVID-19 and the Discourse on Human Rights 4. The Pandemic of COVID-19 and Inhuman Wrongs PART II: Health Challenges and Consequences of COVID-19 5. Maternal and Reproductive Health in the Midst of COVID-19: The Case of Africa 6. Mental Health and the Psychological Effects of Isolation During COVID-19 7. Health and Non-Health Care Challenges of COVID-19 Management 8. The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health PART III: Impacts of COVID-19 on Age, Gender, and Profession 9. ‘Making Connections’: Feminist Activism in a Quarantined Chinese City 10. COVID-19 Pandemic and the Plight of Women Migrant Workers: Gendered Issues Involved and the Strategies Required 11. The Impacts of the Novel Coronavirus 2019 on Vulnerable Groups of Society: The Case for Mauritius 12. Impact of COVID-19 on Interpersonal Relations and Behavioral Aspects of the People PART IV: Role of Different Organizations and Professions 13. Optimum Budget Allocation for Social Projects to Control COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Objective Nonlinear Integer Mathematical Model with a Novel Discrete Integer Gaining-Sharing Knowledge-Based Metaheuristic Algorithm 14. Solace in Social Media: Women Unite Under COVID-19 15. The South African Police and the Challenges They Are Encountering During COVID-19 16. Role of Journalism and Media During the Crisis of the Coronavirus Pandemic in India: A Review PART V: Closure of Schools and Colleges During COVID-19: Remote Learning Challenges 17. Information Curation, Psychosocial Response, and Hygienic Practices in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Indian Students of Higher Education 18. Towards Enhancing Lecturers’ Professionalism in a Period of Global Pandemic in Nigerian Universities: Issues and Challenges 19. Remote Learning and COVID-19 Lockdown: Experiences of University Students from the Eastern Cape of South Africa 20. The Sociology of a COVID-19 Virtual University 21. School and University Closures in COVID-19: Impacts on Educational Processes and Systems

Usha Rana, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Work at the Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University (A Government Central University), Sagar, India. She is an academician in sociology with a specialization in sexual studies and gender studies and has more than 10 years of teaching and research experience. She has published more than 30 articles in reputed national and international peer-reviewed journals/conferences, including SCI/Scopus-indexed journals published by Inderscience, Springer, Elsevier, and Cambridge, respectively. In addition, she also serves as a reviewer for many SCI/Scopus journals. She has delivered lectures as a speaker at various national and international workshops. Professor Rana is an active member of the International Sociological Association, Indian Sociological Society, and Women’s Indian Association, among others. Dr. Rana completed her master’s and doctorate in Sociology from Jiwaji University, Gwalior India, and Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, respectively.

Jayanathan Govender, PhD, teaches Industrial, Organizational and Labour Studies at the School of Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa. His interests include civil society, interdisciplinary studies, BRICS sociology, sociological practice, and futures research. He has published on topics in public management, participation, higher education, social policy, inequality, and social justice. Dr. Govender completed his master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, respectively.