Trauma and Distress on a Cruise during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study with Italian and French Tourists

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our daily lives. One of the sectors most affected was tourism and travel – and, more specifically, cruises, given the prolonged time passengers spend with others within the small spaces of the cruise ship. While finding well-organised entertainment opportunities on cruises is possible, emergency conditions may cause panic. On such occasions, reactions can be highly stressful or even traumatic. This research explores the events and emotions experienced by passengers during a cruise ship quarantined for COVID-19. The empirical materials consist of interviews with 15 passengers. The analyses show four thematic areas: fear of contagion, feelings of discrimination, cooperation between passengers and relationship with the crew. The problems during a cruise ship quarantine presented by the passengers in this study reveal the need for psychological preparation for the crew and security personnel. Finally, we suggest that telemedicine and telepsychology are key elements to improve the efficiency of behavioral control on cruise ships and to mitigate the COVID-19 effects on tourists' well-being during a quarantine. © 2023 by the author.

Anti-Violence Centers in Italy During the COVID-19 Emergency: Support Strategies for Women Victims of Violence

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted anti-violence centers for women. This study aims to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions affect: the assistance and protection functions of the anti-violence centers;the needs of women victims of violence;and the well-being of the professionals working with these women. Twenty-four Italian anti-violence centers were involved, and 29 women working there were interviewed. From the qualitative analysis of the texts, three main themes were identified regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anti-violence centers service: 1) transformations and synergies to improve help-seeking, 2) consequences of the pandemic situation on women victims of violence, and 3) the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on professionals. The results show that anti-violence centers need to be restructured to respond to the changes caused by the pandemic and expand their remote support strategies. Their interventions were fundamental in enabling women to seek help during the COVID-19 pandemic. The professionals involved in providing support to victims encountered stressful difficulties specific to the pandemic. © 2022 by the author.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Between Bio-Ethics, Bio-Law and Bio-Politics: A Case Study on The Italian Experience of The DuPre Commission

The aim of this qualitative study was to consider the question of whether the Italian political management of the pandemic respected the European bio-ethical and bio-juridical approaches in light of the principles of autonomy, dignity, integrity and vulnerability. As no specific consolidated literature exists on the subject, the Italian situation was taken into consideration, specifically the work of a spontaneous commission (DuPre) that collected the reflections of academics and researchers interested in discussing political decisions for the management of the emergency, which was the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The analysis took into account the contributions of scholars during two conferences (without proceedings), which were transcribed and examined. From the texts processed with a thematic analysis, three main themes emerged: ‘pandemic as a state of exception, sovereignty and crisis of democracy', ‘the value of doubt and refutation' and ‘elimination of informed consent between persuasion and blackmail'. In this paper, the final bio-political considerations on the European approach and the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy are presented. © 2022, Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Philosophy. All rights reserved.

ANTHROPOCENE AND DEATH BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THE BLACK SWAN BETWEEN POPE FRANCIS I AND SEVERINO

This article considers the Covid-19 pandemic in relation to postmodern forms of representing Nature, limits and death. Taking Pope Francis I's encyclical on environmental issues as a starting point, it considers the relationship between the age of technology and the Anthropocene according to the contribution of posthumanism derived from the Nietzschean-Foucauldian perspective. The teachings of the philosopher Emanuele Severino on the problem of contingency and the idea of eternity are examined.