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This article presents the set of theoretical -methodological decisions developed within the framework of a research based on a mixed approach on the State of Child Welfare, Household Living Conditions and Care in the face of Preventive and Compulsory Social Isolation by Covid-19 in the cities of La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada. The presentation focuses on two aspects: on the one hand, a detailed explanation and reflection on the design, as well as the main methodological decisions are accounted for. On the other hand, the article delves into the challenges inherent to a research conducted through the use of digital mediations.
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This paper aims to describe the theoretical and methodological design of a national survey on the social structure of Argentina and the reception of public initiatives implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic (ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19). The survey investigates the effects of the pandemic on central dimensions of the social reproduction of households from the theoretical perspectives of the analysis of social class, gender, socio-residential insertion and impact of public policies.The design and implementation of the ESAyPP/PISAC COVID-19 had a federal character through the articulation of research teams from all regions of the country. It is a comprehensive survey with estimation domain by region that allows for an interregional comparative perspective.
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This article deals with the differential distribution of death in the face of viral epi-demics and pandemics. We will take the current Sars-CoV-2 pandemic in conjunc-tion with the HIV epidemic in order to understand how barriers that divide hu-mans into groups, by which it is decided who can or cannot die of a viral disease. Thinking from Donna Haraway's feminism and critique of human exceptionalism, her theory is articulated with the notions of biopolitics, necropolitics and framing, in order to situate the relationships between some humans and these viruses, con-sidering crossings such as race, gender and sexuality. It is possible to understand that, even without any scientific evidence that justify fatal encounters between some humans and viruses, the stories produced about these pathogens guide those who live or die in contact with them.
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The importance of tourism in the Azores' economy has been increasing over the years. In order to respond to higher tourist demand, new accommodation establishments and restaurants started activity in the region, creating new jobs and wealth. This trend of economic expansion has been slowed down, possibly reversed, since the COVID-19 pandemic and the various strategies adopted by the government to decrease the infection rate, which led to the arrival of fewer tourists. To assess the pandemic impact after the first lockdown on the economy of S & atilde;o Miguel, the biggest and most visited island of the Azores, surveys were designed for the tourism accommodation and restaurant sectors, both influenced by tourism activity.The main aim was to estimate the mean income drop in the 2020 tourism high season, in percentage, compared to the homologous pre-pandemic 2019 period. The results highlight an adverse impact on those sectors, with the greatest mean income drop being estimated for the local accommodation sector (78.7 +/- 3.6%), followed by the traditional hotel sector (74.7 +/- 4.6%) and the restaurant sector (58.5 +/- 6.5%). Moreover, an almost 60% drop in the mean occupancy rate during the 2020 tourism high season, compared to 2019, was estimated for the tourism accommodation sector.
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The coronavirus disease (COVID) lockdown was implemented in 2020, which included harsh restrictions on the amount of traffic. As a consequence, a low-emission scenario that could only be simulated before, actually occurred. This constituted a unique and valuable opportunity to study the effect of air quality pollutant concentrations. Although a direct comparison between the observed measured values given by reference air quality stations (AQSs) and values from before the COVID lockdown provides an idea of the pollution reduction, it cannot be separated from the meteorology, and hence, those studies could be misleading. This study used the approach of modeling a normal business day using both air quality and meteorological data from 2017 to 2019 to train machine-learning models to be able to predict what concentration of the three most concerning pollutants (NO2, O-3, and PM10) would be given by the meteorological conditions and the time of the year. The XGBoost and LightGBM gradient boosting decision tree-based models were applied to the time series recorded in Madrid and used to predict the expected concentrations in 2020 if no restrictions had been made. The predictions could then be compared to the real observed AQS data to determine the meteorological normalized reductions. The results showed around a 60% reduction in the NO2 at the three types of AQSs (traffic, suburban, and background) during the most restrictive months of the pandemic. The O-3 concentration showed a different behavior depending on the type of AQS, pointing to changes in the regime of other pollutants, such as VOCs. The PM10 was the most difficult case to analyze because of its dependence on external transport phenomena, which were difficult to consider in the models. A set of CTM simulations should be done in the future to assess the O3-VOCs-NOx chemistry.
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Time in nature is associated with a range of physical and psychological benefits. These benefits tend to be unevenly distributed, with non-white and low-income communities often having lower access to nature than richer, more white neighborhoods. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in Spring 2020, changes in daily routines, restrictions on public nature access, and risk perceptions may have affected whether and how much people spent time in nature. We explore how nature access changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and how those changes were experienced by different demographic groups. We surveyed representative samples of California and New York residents (n = 2,036) in May and June of 2020 and examined differences in nature access and nature-related COVID restrictions and risks by gender, income and race. We find that, on average, the pandemic was associated with reductions in frequency of nature access and less time in nature for all respondents. However, these trends were greatest for women, people of color and people who are low-income. Moreover, the pandemic seems to have widened prior inequalities: low-income and non-white people accessed nature even less frequently and had fewer nature access options than they did prior to the pandemic. Given the disparities in broader pandemic impacts by gender, income, and race, these results further demonstrate the inequalities laid bare by COVID-19.
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Purpose - This research examines how chain hotels respond to the crisis in the context of situational crisis communication, focusing on the first emergence of the COVID-19 crisis and the second period of the pandemic, during which the pandemic was relatively weak. Design/methodology/approach - The data were obtained from the digital announcements shared by the world's 50 most valuable hotel chains. The announcements, declared in the two phases of March-April and July-September 2020, were analyzed. The data were collected through document analysis and transferred to the MAXQDA program for qualitative content analysis. Interviews were held with the managers of chain companies to compare and confirm the results obtained. Findings - Chain hotels announced regulations on existing reservations, potential customers, intermediary businesses, suppliers and employees by focusing on maintaining business reputation in the first phase of the pandemic. The hotel units seem to be more open to referrals on emergency measures from chain centers in this phase. In the second stage, announcements to increase sales were shared. The content of the crisis communication is in line with the predictions advocated under the situational crisis communication theory. In addition, some applications that do not comply with the theory are also identified. Research limitations/implications - The effects of the crisis communication on hotels were addressed;the responses of other stakeholders to the communication were not taken into account. Practical implications - Successful response strategies must be considered when developing future crisis preparedness measures. Actors in the hospitality industry can adopt a situational crisis communication approach as an effective strategy to cope with the losses caused by a crisis and possibly speed recovery. Hotels can turn the crisis into an opportunity with the strategies they put forward during the pandemic and gain stronger reputations after the pandemic. Originality/value - This study contributes to both the crisis management literature and the literature on COVID-19 by exemplifying the crisis communication measures and strategies of chain hotels. Focusing on different sub-processes in the analysis of crisis communication, revealing the background about the production and transfer of the information shared during the crisis, and interpreting the content of the messages by considering the benefit of the stakeholders and benefits of the hotel reveals the originality of this study.
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The pandemic caused by COVID-19 forced education to migrate to remote teaching. The objective of the research was to measure the satisfaction of university teachers performing their functions through teledocency. A quantitative, descriptive and non-experimental cross-sectional methodology was used to categorize job satisfaction. The Multidimensional Scale of Teacher Job Satisfaction was used as a measuring instrument with reliability levels: a) Cronbach's Alpha 0.95, b) reliability by halves, according to the Spearman-Brown formula, 0.95. applied to a convenience sample of 146 teachers from the pu-blic and private sector, the data were processed through SPSS Statistics software, using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the variables that make up job satisfaction were categorized by teachers as follows: Interpersonal relationships 67%, Professional performance 67%, Physical environment (home) 61%, Management team 54%, Organizational factors 53%, Appraisal of work performed 51%, Participation 45% and Working conditions 41%. In general, it is concluded that tea-chers are satisfied in the performance of their duties through the tele-teaching modality;at the same time, opportunities were found that could have an impact on reducing non-satisfaction.
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The payment of the urban property tax is an obligation with which all citizens who own real estate must comply. The objective of this research is to demonstrate the help that the decrease in the payment of the tax would give to the citizens, due to the fact that the economy of the citizens has been affected by the pandemic, since the city of Tulcan is a border city, its main economic activity is commerce, which due to the pandemic decreased significantly, leaving economic losses. The objective is to demonstrate that such increase is currently unnecessary, since everyone has been economically affected by Covid 19, for this we have used a field and investigative methodology. As a result, we should obtain the solution to this problem, giving a favourable end for the citizens as well as for the personnel of the municipality.
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The objective of this research work is to determine the level of satisfaction with the non-classroom teaching service of health science students in Lima during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, an observational and descriptive type of research was used, since the variables were not manipulated and the purpose was to describe the study variable. The population consisted of all students of health careers enrolled in universities in Lima during the year 2020. Obtaining a sample of 385 participants according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, it was found that most participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with 53.8%, followed by intermediate satisfaction with 38.4% and only 7.8% had a low satisfaction, concluding that the level of satisfaction of the non-classroom teaching service was mostly high in health sciences students in Lima during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
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An important criterion that must be known in the nanostore sector (bodega, warehouse, kiosk, grocery store) is the way that the competitive environment (EC) is related to adaptability. The study of adaptability and EC in this field is a new topic that requires research, due to the importance of the type of competitive strategy adopted by an organization, since new adaptability practices can be integrated as a result. There are some studies with frequently applied theories in supply chain management, logistics and adaptability of nanostores, focused on the challenges they currently face. Our research is based on the fit contingency theory, to identify the extent to which the variables of adaptability and EC are related to the performance of Honduran nanostores. The research considers 143 nanostores implementing adaptability, as an important operations program for CE and performance. This study presents new insights and offers guidance for nanostore owners, managers, and academics, especially that adaptability can positively intervene the relationship between EC and performance in nanostores.
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In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic manifested our heightened dependency on digital technologies for the operational functioning of all aspects of our lives under lockdowns: access to information, jobs, education, good governance, entertaining, and social and family relations. However, in Argentina, as in all Latin American and Caribbean countries, the pandemic has revealed the many inequalities that affect its population. It is important to recognize the present digital divide, considering the existence of multiple gaps: socio-digital, cognitive, socioeconomic, socio-spatial, gender, linguistic, among others. This paper is focused on the new needs faced to the construction of Knowledge Society in Argentina through the study of its public policies for digital inclusion. It proposes measures to be included in the country`s public policies for Knowledge Society.
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While online distance learning has become more prevalent in Malaysia's higher education system, it is still uncommon in the country's secondary schools, particularly for gifted programmes. Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia's educational environment was transformed, resulting in the emergence of new prospects for successful distance learning. The purpose of this quantitative research was to determine whether online distance education benefits Malaysian gifted and talented students or not. The study comprised 305 students between the ages of 11 and 17 from a Malaysian gifted school. This research used a five-point Likert scale with a reliability coefficient of 0.94, which was determined to be reliable. After completing a four-week online distance learning course, participants were invited to complete a questionnaire. There were four learning areas in which effectiveness was assessed: learning facilities, assignments, motivation, and computer skills. While gifted students demonstrated a high degree of computer skill, the statistics indicate that online distance learning is moderately successful. Urban students showed a greater potential for online distance learning than rural students. More studies should be conducted on how to enhance online distance learning for gifted students.
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The proportion of people who were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by February 2022 varied among the countries of the European Union. It is shown here that this proportion is strongly related to the rate of acceptance of the theory of evolution in these countries.
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Purpose/Background. Inconsiderate human activities have led to ecological imbalances, and pollution and degradation of our natural environment. However, for humans to continue to exist on Earth in the future and for sustainable development to occur, we must preserve our ecosystems. Methodology/Approach. This paper examines some ethical considerations that are important to human interaction with the environment, by identifying conditions that existed before the Covid-19 pandemic. Results/Findings. The world is currently challenged by global inequality and global climate change, both of which adversely affect our living environment and very sensitive ecological systems. The physical confinement and social distancing measures imposed by governments worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic produced a reduction in human interactions and activities which had a positive impact on the ecological environments around the world. Discussion/Conclusions/Contributions. As governments release their citizens from the tight restrictions, and people return to their customary activities, we can expect a return to pollution of our environments. This will occur unless, during the period of 'lockdown', humans had become more aware of the harmful effects some of their activities were having on the ecosystem and had been motivated to minimize these activities.
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From this space of long consideration, there is the aim to raise awareness of the importance of addressing the violence of the patient towards the professional. Burnout is a risk factor and, therefore, the vulnerability of professionals nowadays due to the pandemic, can increase said risk, seriously affecting their health.
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The hospital emergency department (ED) has become the gateway to the health system during the first COVID-19 wave. The objective of this study is to describe the behaviour of claims in the first year of the pandemic, comparing them with the previous year. Method: Retrospective descriptive study of the complaints addressed to the ED of the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria University Hospital Complex (CHUNSC) during the years 2019 and 2020. The variables studied were: the number of claims received at the CHUNSC and at the ED and of the latter: year, month, dimensions, reasons, professional category, sex, relationship of the claimant and the number of emergencies attended. Results: 347 claims from the ED and 6259 from the CHUNSC were analyzed, with the average for 2019 being higher than that of 2020. The most requested dimension in the ED is health care assistance and the reason for dissatisfaction for the provision of care. The professional category with more claims is health care staff and the user himself, is the one who claims the most. Conclusions: the number of claims has decreased in the first year of the pandemic but the dimension has not changed, nor the reason in relation to the previous year.
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically examine the financial health and performance of the English and Australian cricket networks. This includes the county cricket clubs (CCC) and state and territory cricket associations (STCA) affiliated to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) respectively, as well as the ECB and CA themselves. The authors apply resource dependency theory to understand if there are any financial dependencies within the networks of cricket in England and Australia. Design/methodology/approach The data for this research was obtained from the financial statements of the ECB, the 18 affiliated CCCs, CA and the six affiliated STCAs. This sample covers the last 5 years of financial information (2014-2019) for all the organisations at the time of writing. Ratio analysis was conducted on all organisations within the sample to assess financial health and performance. Findings Both CCCs and STCAs show signs of poor financial health. There is a clear dependence on the financial support they receive from the ECB and CA respectively and this dependence appears more prominent in Australia. The ECB and CA have better financial health which ultimately allows them to financially support the CCCs and STCAs. Originality/value The ECB and CA are facing difficult financial decisions to remain financially secure themselves due to the impact of COVID-19 but also to support their affiliated clubs. The affiliated clubs do not generate sufficient revenues and must diversity their revenue streams if they are to become financially self-sustaining. This financial structure and distribution mechanism will be vital in safeguarding the future of some of England's and Australia's most important cricket organisations.
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Purpose In light of the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese authorities have called for the adoption of the individual dining style (IDS) as a preventive measure for the pandemic and a new norm for civilized code of conduct. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing the Chinese people's intention to adopt the IDS. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied the capability, opportunity and motivation model of behavior (COM-B) and identified potential predictors influencing the intention to adopt the IDS through a review of the literature. Data were collected through an online survey, and structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicated that the most influential predictors were subjective norm, social norm, perceived benefit and past behavior, while the other predictors (including breaking habits, communal dining culture, perceived behavioral control, perceived health risk and social risk) had insignificant effects on the intention to adopt IDS. Practical implications First, educational public health messages should communicate the benefits of IDS. Second, persuasive public communication should focus on how people are implementing the target behavior rather than drawing attention to a minority who are disregarding it. Moreover, given the highly significant effects of subjective norm, public health campaigns should emphasize that adoption of the desired behavior expresses care for significant others. Originality/value The findings advance understanding of an underexplored topic, namely, how deeply ingrained ways of dining may be transformed in the current context. Applying the COM-B, the authors tested multiple variables to explain the intention to adopt IDS. The results suggest that some social influences (subjective norm and social norm) and reflective cognitive processes (perceived benefit) had the greatest impacts on behavior intentions. Moreover, the results indicate that threat of COVID-19 may not prompt people to change their dining styles. However, the benefits of IDS to prevent the spread of infectious diseases could lead to its wider adoption.