Asian in the Time of COVID-19: Creating a Social Work Agenda for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities.

The health of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities remains an understudied area of racial/ethnic minority research in the United States, and even more so in the field of social work. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how AAPI health and social welfare issues have not received adequate attention in social policy, social work practice, and research. Contrary to model minority myths, AAPIs are subject to racialized attitudes and discrimination, which have been associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including increased anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Drawing from the theoretical framework of AsianCrit, which is grounded in critical race theory, authors analyze health disparities among AAPI communities as reflected in COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatalities, as well as increases in acts of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia. Better understanding health disparities of AAPI communities needs to be a key research issue for social workers in future years. The authors conclude by offering a short set of recommendations to improve social policy, social work practice, and research to more aptly address contemporary social issues impacting AAPI communities.

Global Consciousness Predicts Behavioral Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Evidence From 35 Cultures.

COVID-19 has drastically changed human behaviors and posed a threat to globalism by spurring a resurgence of nationalism. Promoting prosocial behavior within and across borders is of paramount importance for global cooperation to combat pandemics. To examine both self-report and actual prosocial behavior, we conducted the first empirical test of global consciousness theory in a multinational study of 35 cultures (N = 18,171 community adults stratified by age, gender, and region of residence). Global consciousness encompassed cosmopolitan orientation, identification with all humanity, and multicultural acquisition, whereas national consciousness reflected ethnic protection. Both global consciousness and national consciousness positively predicted perceived risk of coronavirus and concern about coronavirus, after controlling for interdependent self-construal. While global consciousness positively predicted prosocial behavior in response to COVID-19, national consciousness positively predicted defensive behavior. These findings shed light on overcoming national parochialism and provide a theoretical framework for the study of global unity and cooperation.

Forgotten Ones: Rhetoric of Migration and Tourism Governance in South Africa in the Sedentary Epoch of COVID-19

The COVID-19-imposed restriction on movement, lockdown measures and closure of the border impacted migrants and cross-border migrants in South Africa who struggle to survive and eke out their livelihood. Border walls were used as an externalizing means to stop irregular immigrants during COVID-19. With this in view, the chapter discusses to what extent South Africa COVID-19 policies and lockdown measures either alleviated or amplified the challenges of migrants and cross-border migrants in South Africa. The chapter also highlights how the lockdown impacted the survival of migrants. Second, the chapter unpacks how the pandemic has altered migration and tourism governance in South Africa, as well as South Africa's controversial Border Management Authority Bill implemented in 2020 during COVID-19 to tighten border management. The research is based on several data sources through triangulation of media reports, interviews, observations and policy documents. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia by George Makari (review)

Sigmund Freud in his "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego" (1921) outlined his take on this after World War I. British psychotherapists, including some of his English followers such as Wilfried Trotter, appropriated a psychology of difference popularized by Gustave Le Bon to define the valorous "Tommy" crusading against the inherently evil "Boche." In his 1921 essay, Freud began with the claim concerning collective behavior that had long been established in the psychological literature of the late 19th century—that "a group is extraordinarily credulous and open to influence, it has no critical faculty, and the improbable does not exist for it." In the first of many striking moments in this book, Makari locates the modern origin of xenophobia—and it is not where we expected to find it: the social fascination with the "phobias" had its origin in 19th-century medicine, which quickly devolved into social metaphor, as such diagnostic categories of behavior tend to do rather quickly. Makari begins his book locating his own discomfort with being seen as "different" and trying to understand his own family, Greek Orthodox inhabitants of Ottoman Lebanon, whose trek to the United States created (as many of us know from our own family experience) "better" Americans, initially struggling as peddlers and then establishing themselves in Texas as "real" Americans.

Introduction: Theorizing the psychology of deglobalization

The unprecedented pace and scope of globalization over the past half century have had major impacts on the field of psychology. We observe that since the 2008 financial crisis, there have been increased academic and political concerns with "deglobalization,” which is often associated with terrorism, xenophobia, authoritarianism, Brexit, the US–China trade war, the Russian war on Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that the phenomenon of deglobalization is historically uncertain but intellectually and politically significant enough to warrant analysis. Thus, in this special issue, we begin to theorize the psychology of deglobalization by addressing several foundational issues: the major manifestations of deglobalization in relation to psychosocial life, the dialectical relations between globalization and deglobalization, and possible ways to respond to the challenges of deglobalization. In the meantime, we flesh out these theoretical perspectives using the cases of nationalism, neoliberalism, White supremacy, far-right politics, dehumanization, isolationism, and trade conflicts.

Social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: Xenophobic tendency and their consequences

The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic process caused problems in various fields in societies. Particularly the problems in the field of health and economy reached a certain point, and studies in these areas have intensified. In addition, the pandemic also increased psychosocial problems among individuals in the society. With the spread of the virus, people's living conditions changed. Their lives were restricted due to the physical distancing measures taken, and this led to the occurrence of various psychological problems. The negativities in their living conditions and the problems they are exposed to led people to look for scapegoats. Therefore, negative attitudes towards migrants who are regarded as foreigners began to spread in the society. Considered as fear, hatred and prejudice towards foreigners, xenophobia increased. In the present study, it is aimed to evaluate the factors that lead to xenophobic tendencies, the effects of xenophobic tendencies and various steps to prevent xenophobic tendencies during the COVID-19 pandemic process. In this regard, the relevant literature has been reviewed. The spread of xenophobic tendencies in the society is seen as an important risk in ensuring social cohesion. Thus, xenophobic tendencies should be prevented. As such, necessary steps should be taken to prevent unfounded information and prejudices about migrants during the pandemic process. Particular attention should be paid to the influence of the media and politicians. Social and economic inequalities experienced by migrants should be eliminated. Their access to social and judicial institutions, and educational and healthcare establishment in the society should be facilitated. Effective mental health services should be provided in order to reduce the negative impacts of xenophobic tendencies on migrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Turkish) Koronavirus hastaligi-19 (COVID-19) pandemisi surecinde, toplumlarda cesitli alanlarda sorunlar yasanmistir. Ozellikle saglik ve ekonomi alanindaki sorunlar onemli noktalara ulasmis ve bu alanlardaki calismalar yogunlasmistir. Ote yandan pandeminin toplumda bireyler arasinda psikososyal sorunlari da artirdigi gorulmustur. Virusun yayilmasiyla birlikte insanlarin yasam kosullari degismistir. Alinan fiziksel mesafe onlemleri kapsaminda yasamlari kisitlanmis ve bu durum cesitli psikolojik sorunlarin ortaya cikmasina neden olmustur. Yasam kosullarindaki olumsuzluklar ve maruz kalinan sorunlar, insanlari gunah kecisi aramaya yonlendirmistir. Sonuc olarak toplumda yabanci olarak degerlendirilen gocmenlere yonelik olumsuz tutumlar yayginlasmaya baslamistir. Yabancilara karsi korku, nefret ve on yargi olarak degerlendirilen zenofobi artmistir. Mevcut calismada COVID-19 pandemisi surecinde zenofobik egilimlere yol acan faktorler, zenofobik egilimlerin etkileri ve zenofobik egilimleri onlemeye yonelik cesitli adimlarin degerlendirilmesi amaclanmistir. Bu amacla ilgili literatur gozden gecirilmistir. Toplumda zenofobik egilimlerin yayginlasmasi, sosyal uyumun saglanmasi konusunda onemli bir risk olarak degerlendirilmektedir. Bu nedenle zenofobik egilimlerin onlenmesi gerekmektedir. Bu kapsamda pandemi surecinde gocmenlere dair asilsiz bilgilerin ve on yargilarin onune gecilmesi icin gerekli adimlar atilmalidir. Ozellikle medyanin ve politikacilarin etkisi dikkate alinmalidir. Gocmenlerin yasadigi sosyal ve ekonomik esitsizlikler giderilmelidir. Toplumdaki sosyal ve adli kurumlara, egitim ve saglik hizmeti sunan kuruluslara erisimleri kolaylastirilmalidir. Zenofobik egilimlerin gocmenler uzerindeki olumsuz etkilerini azaltmak icin etkin ruh sagligi hizmeti sunulmalidir. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Editorial Understanding COVID-19 Communication: Linguistic and Discursive Perspectives

This collaborative essay addresses COVID-19 communication, focussing on the linguistic strategies and discursive constructions that were adopted, first to cope with the unprecedented crisis scenarios of the pandemic and later to hail the post-pandemic times. It recapitulates the unfolding of COVID-19 communication from 2020 to 2022, espousing a linguistic and discursive perspective. To that purpose, it elaborates on a few keywords and key phrases that consistently identify the different pandemic and post-pandemic phases in the public domain. i.e. ‘recovery and resilience', ‘smart' and ‘virtual', and the ‘new normal', to finish with a few reflections on the challenges of legal communication faced with mounting social intolerance and the exacerbation of hate speech and xenophobia. The overview privileges the European Union and the UK, the latter launching the first mass vaccination campaign in December 2020, although with the awareness of the global nature of the phenomenon and its present repercussions. The aim of the essay is to frame the nine research articles in this issue as attempts to interpret an exceptionally difficult time span and as a form of intellectual resilience. Copyright (©) 2022 Maria Cristina Paganoni, Joanna Osiejewicz

Mao's Bestiary: Medicinal Animals and Modern China. Liz P. Y. Chee

Chee's histories of animal medicines should change how we think about both China's wildlife trade and the TCM sector. Although previous studies have shown how TCM is a modern construction, essentially reinvented in competition with "Western" medicine,[2] Chee analyzes the industrial character of this modernization in a fundamentally new way. Keywords: Traditional Chinese Medicine;Animal history;People's Republic of China;Modern Chinese History EN Traditional Chinese Medicine Animal history People's Republic of China Modern Chinese History 230 231 2 04/11/23 20230401 NES 230401 The use of wild animals in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) remedies has long been controversial, but the Covid-19 pandemic brought new attention to the practice. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Journal of the History of Medicine & Allied Sciences is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Refugees in abject spaces, protracted ‘waiting' and spatialities of abjection during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper engages with a reinterpretation of the concept of abject space situating it within abjection theory and the concept of ‘waiting'. It develops further the term of ‘spatialities of abjection' and discusses how the complex relationality occurring in abjection manifests in various spaces, through porous, changing, invisible boundaries but also specific temporal conditions. Doing so allows us to unpack the transformations of the abject space alternatively and simultaneously considered as a refuge and as a place of danger, factor of contamination. More importantly, the paper situates the reading of spatial abjection through a temporal lens, denoting how abject subjects are spatialized in a context of ‘political waiting' but more importantly in a situation where active ‘waiting' re-shifted to passive ‘waiting' because of the pandemic implications. To do so, we focus on the spatialities of abjection affecting Syrian refugees living in informal tented settlements (ITSs) in Lebanon during the COVID-19 crisis. While abjection, stigma and xenophobia were already occurring prior to 2019, ITSs as abject spaces and refugees as abject subjects were targeted by supplemented rules and control. Those led to more controlled encampments and immobilization, increasing their dependency and reliance on international aid.Alternate abstract:ResumenEste artículo involucra una reinterpretación del concepto de espacio abyecto situándolo dentro de la teoría de la abyección y el concepto de ‘espera'. Desarrolla aún más el término ‘espacialidades de la abyección' y discute cómo la compleja relacionalidad que ocurre en la abyección se manifiesta en varios espacios, a través de fronteras porosas, cambiantes e invisibles, pero también de condiciones temporales específicas. Hacerlo nos permite desempacar las transformaciones del espacio abyecto alternativa y simultáneamente considerado como refugio y como lugar de peligro, factor de contaminación. Más importante aún, el artículo sitúa la lectura de la abyección espacial a través de una lente temporal, denotando cómo los sujetos abyectos se espacializan en un contexto de ‘espera política', pero más importante aún en una situación en la que la ‘espera' activa cambia a ‘espera' pasiva debido a las implicaciones de la pandemia. Para ello, nos enfocamos en las espacialidades de abyección que afectan a los refugiados sirios que viven en asentamientos informales de tiendas de campaña (ITS por sus siglas en inglés) en el Líbano durante la crisis del COVID-19. Si bien la abyección, el estigma y la xenofobia ya estaban ocurriendo antes de 2019, los ITS como espacios abyectos y los refugiados como sujetos abyectos fueron objeto de normas y controles suplementarios. Estos llevaron a campamentos más controlados e inmovilización, aumentando su dependencia a la ayuda internacional.

Reencountering Chinese Restaurant Legends During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Along with the wide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, anti-Asian-especially anti-Chinese-incidents have risen rapidly, particularly in the United States. This article intends to relate current narratives to established oral tradition and argue for the role that traditional knowledge plays in cross-cultural encounters and contexts. The findings suggest that one strategy to achieve social and interracial integrity is to encourage more intercultural interactions between different groups and to challenge stereotyped ethnic boundaries.

Travel-at-home: Paradoxical effects of a pandemic threat on domestic tourism

This study introduces the evolutionary concept of assortative sociality and explores how it moderates pandemic anxiety effects on attitudes towards tourism and travel decisions. Based on a large-scale online survey (N = 4630) conducted in three European countries, we demonstrate that COVID-19 anxiety triggered assortative sociality, which reflects both xenophobic and ethnocentric traits. This changes perceptions of domestic and international travel attractiveness, and further leads to travel choices prioritizing domestic destinations. At the same time, xenophobic and ethnocentric traits also affected citizen attitudes towards supporting the domestic tourism industry - an industry that accommodates foreigners. In conclusion, the paper discusses the seemingly paradoxical effects of a pandemic threat on domestic versus international tourism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

"Keep them out to save our inside:” discourses on immigration by the Spanish far right

Vox is a far-right, Spanish political party that has steadily grown to become the third main party in the national congress. Immigration is a major presence in Vox's political agenda. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, we analyze the party's public speeches and Twitter communications on immigration in the last 3 years, from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the Ukraine-Russia war in 2022. These contexts have provided a fertile ground for Vox's concerns with the protection of national borders, the criminalization of African and irregular immigrants, and the Spanish Government's ineffectiveness to protect the Spaniards' homes. Vox's main discursive strategies entail constructions of migrants and migration based on dichotomous binaries, culture clash, exclusionary discourses of domopolitics, and fears of imminent social and cultural changes. These constructions are based on the unproblematized belief on essential and unchangeable values that forge the identity of the homeland, which is implicitly threatened by immigrants. Against the migratory invasion, Vox constitutes itself as the ethical protector of the Spanish society and nation, "out of care for the insiders and not out of hatred for outsiders.”. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Behavior change during COVID-19: A matter of life and death? [References]

During the COVID pandemic, the human race has experienced the world unlike ever before. There have been instances of great success as well as instances of profound failure. The examination of how threat and anxiety manifest to contribute to either success or failure has revealed two distinct strategies. To mitigate existential anxiety, some individuals resort to prejudice, violence, and the pro-authoritarian orientation. Other individuals deploy intuitive strategies that enable them to continue life constructively. The sensitivity to incentivization and coercion by individuals who lack the self-regulation ability to deal with their anxiety effectively suggests that de-radicalization at the system level is needed to limit the impact of extreme views on society. Second, the development of social policy that condemns anxiety-provoking behaviors, such violence and discrimination, can restore social cohesion. This chapter notes that behavior change is challenging even under peaceful conditions. It emphasizes the existential dimension of the current crisis. The chapter discusses the importance of reducing a sense of threat, both psychologically and socially, so that responses to anxiety and fear are not channeled toward common but maladaptive reactions such as aggression and xenophobia. It points out that these aims require insightful social policies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes in the time of COVID-19

The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nations and individuals has almost certainly led to increased feelings of threat and competition, heightened uncertainty, lack of control, and a rise in authoritarianism. In this paper we use social psychological and sociological theories to explore the anticipated effects on xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes worldwide. Based on our analysis, we discuss recommendations for further research required during the ups and downs of the pandemic, as well as during recovery. We also discuss the need for research to address how to best counteract this expected surge in xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes. As the pandemic persists, it will be important to systematically examine its effects on xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes, and to develop and implement strategies that keep these negative attitudes at bay. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

In place / out of place: Punjabi-Sikhs in Reno, Nevada

Plenty of research has focused on major immigrant destination metropolitan areas (Singer, Hardwick, & Brettell, 2008);however, little work has focused on small to mid-sized urban areas and re-emerging immigrant gateways (Singer, 2015). The greater Reno metropolitan area in Nevada, which in the early 21st-century is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, has re-emerged as an immigrant destination, yet it has been largely overlooked in scholarship. With this work, I fill the gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of an understudied, BIPOC transnational group (Punjabi-Sikhs) in a small to mid-sized and previously overlooked re-emerging immigrant gateway (the greater Reno area). This study investigated the socio-spatialities of Punjabi-Sikhs and their experiences with geographies of inclusion/exclusion during the early twenty-twenties, a period broadly characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, a contentious political election, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, and a surge in neo-nationalism and anti-Asian sentiment. I argue that the national and international public issues that became ever more apparent in the early twenty-twenties uniquely affected BIPOC and migratory groups in re-emerging immigrant gateways and small to mid-sized urban areas and resulted in new and unexpected socio-spatialities and geographies of inclusion and exclusion. Specifically, this work focuses on how Punjabi-Sikhs experience and navigate these new and complex geographies in the greater Reno area of Northern Nevada. To better understand these complex geographies, this research focused on three topics: (1) how the lived experiences and socio-spatialities of Punjabi- Sikhs have been impacted and navigated, (2) the implications of losing transnational gathering spaces during the pandemic, and (3) how the Punjabi-Sikh body has been Othered in everyday spaces during this tumultuous period. The qualitative phenomenological analysis presented in this dissertation relied on participant observation, semistructured interviews, and focus groups with fifteen Punjabi-Sikh men and women who resided in the greater Reno area. Fieldwork was conducted during the 2020-2021 global pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, and the final year of Donald J. Trump's presidency, a presidency widely described as embracing a neonationalistic agenda. When considering the current ever-changing social and political atmosphere, some general trends are evident: a consistent rise in anti-Muslim, anti-minority, and anti-immigrant discourse;increased xenophobic political rhetoric that translates into socio-spatial exclusion;and a lack of worldly knowledge among members of the general public that results in increased negative stereotyping and discrimination against Punjabi-Sikhs and other BIPOC and migratory communities. However, the findings of this research also show that Punjabi-Sikhs are incredibly resilient and have developed sophisticated strategies for navigating adverse social and political landscapes. Thus, this research highlights the strength acquired through resiliency by these communities into creative and effective solutions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

How They Learned to Stop Worrying and Love (the) Restrictions? Reimagining COVID-19 Lockdowns-as-Liberative and Restorative: A Case Study of Somali Canadian Mothers

Le site de «l'un des mandats de maintien â la maison les plus stricts et les plus longs au monde», les confinements en Ontario sont devenus une source de discorde dans le discours public provincial - souvent compris comme restrictifs, épuisants et detestables. Cependant, au sein de ce groupe, il existe un groupe d'Ontariennes pour qui ces mandats étaient perçus comme liberent et réparatrif - un groupe (n=29) de meres Somaliennes canadiennes. Des entretiens individuels avec vingt-neuf meres Somaliennes ont révélé une réalité convergente qui s'écarte significativement de l'opinion publique dominante: plutôt que restrictives et isolantes, les confinements sont perçus par ces femmes comme libératrices et réparatrices, car elles offrent un répit prolongé loin de la Négrophobie (le racisme anti-noir) et l'Islamophobie négociés dans une société coloniale. La maison Somalienne enfermé offre â ses habitants doublement racialisés (noir, Musulman) la possibilité d'exister sans conséquence, car ils forgent une distance physique et psychique entre eux et les navigations quotidiennes de la subordination Négrophobie et Islamophobie. Cet article engage une lentille féministe noire pour examiner de maniere critique comment les meres contestent - dans leur maison -avec la marginalisation que leurs enfants Musulmans noirs négocient dans l'espace public urbain. En s'appuyant sur les perceptions des meres Somallennes du confinement, cet article avance l'argument saillant que, pour certains groupes marginalisés dans les sociétés coloniales, l'espace privé offre considérablement plus de libération par rapport â leur homologue public. Premier texte â considérer les confinements comme libérateurs et réparateurs, cet article contribue â la sociologie féministe noire, aux géographies canadiennes noires, ainsi qu'aux études sur la diaspora Somalienne au sens large.Alternate abstract:The site of "one of the world's strictest and longest running stay-at-home mandates," lockdowns in Ontario have become a source of contention within provincial public discourse, often understood as restrictive, exhausting, and detestable. Amongst this, however, there exists a group of Ontarians for whom staying-at-home is conversely perceived as liberating and restorative - a group (n=29) of Somali Canadian mothers. Twenty-nine (n=29) individual interviews with Ottawa-based Somali mothers revealed a converging reality which diverges significantly from dominant public opinion: rather than restrictive and isolating, lockdowns are perceived by these women as liberative and restorative, for they offer a prolonged respite from the anti-Black racism and Islamophobia negotiated in settler colonial space. The locked down Somali home provides its doubly racialized (Black, Muslim) inhabitants the room to exist without consequence, in part by forging physical and psychic distance between Somali mothers, their kin, and the daily navigations of anti-Black and Islamophobic subordination. This paper engages a Black feminist lens to critically consider how mothers contend - in-house - with the marginalization their Black Muslim children negotiate in urban public space. By leaning on the Somali mothers' perceptions of lockdown, this work wages the salient argument that, for certain marginalized groups in settler colonial societies, private space provides considerably more liberation relative to their public counterpart. The first of its kind to read lockdowns-as-liberative and restorative, this article contributes to Black feminist sociology, Black Canadian geographies, as well as Somali diasporic studies writ large.

Differences in the COVID-19 Pandemic Response between South Korea and the United States: A Comparative Analysis of Culture and Policies

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied across countries. Some countries controlled the virus relatively well, while others did not. In the United States, almost a million people died. However, South Korea's death toll is only about 12,000 even though its population is about one-sixth of the United States. What caused the difference? We argue that public compliance to government direction is the primary reason. South Korea's collective culture valuing communal benefits helped the people conform to government directions, such as mask wearing in public places. By contrast, American people resisted the government policies that restrict individual freedom due to the individualistic culture. In South Korea, historical experiences of relatively frequent national crises led to the rise of defensive nationalism, resulting in national union. However, the United States had relatively fewer national crises, and thus nationalism did not rise. Instead, national division, xenophobia, and hatred toward Asians prevailed in the United States. Besides the cultural differences, differences in national leader's characteristics, past experiences of public health crisis, and political system also contributed to the different outcomes of the crisis.

Psychometric properties of the assessment of COVID-19 attitudes and behaviors

Developing psychometrically validated assessment tools to examine social and intergroup processes related to COVID-19 is fundamental for creating interventions that reduce the spread of this virus. Thus, this manuscript aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure, Assessment of COVID-19 Attitudes and Behaviors (ACAB), that assesses COVID-19-related attitudes (e.g., about physical distancing, xenophobia), behaviors (e.g., helping others versus prioritizing own needs), and beliefs (e.g., about others' roles in spreading COVID-19). We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA, CFA) to provide factor analytic support and Fisher's r-to-z transformation to provide construct validity evidence. EFA revealed and CFA confirmed a four-factor structure of social distancing adjustment, self-prioritization, prosocial behaviors, and belief in conspiracies. Fisher's r-to-z transformation provided evidence for the construct validity of the four factors. This psychometrically validated instrument will enhance social science researchers' ability to accurately identify and explicate psychological processes related to COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Twitter and the politics of representation in South Africa and Zimbabwe's xenophobic narratives during the covid-19 pandemic

The article analyses xenophobic narratives on Twitter in South Africa and Zimbabwe during the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020 to July 2021. The study uncovers the politics of representation through discourse analysis of purposively sampled tweets. The article argues that xenophobic views perpetuated on Twitter during the Covid-19 pandemic period had the potential to influence negative attitudes towards Zimbabwean and other immigrants in South Africa. I show that Twitter was used as a platform to disseminate negative representations of Zimbabwean and other immigrants in South Africa. Political leaders on both sides of the border also utilised these representations to maintain their power. On the other hand Twitter played a critical part in mending the rift between Zimbabwean immigrants and some South Africans as it opened up communication between mainstream culture and other cultures. Regardless of this, social media platforms such as Twitter must be monitored and researched to understand the dynamics of representation of others, registering the need to respect and honour the constitutionally recognised freedom of expression. © Creative Commons With Attribution (CC-BY).