Earth Power in the New Geopolitics

The best way to think about the climate emergency is to imagine humanity has just arrived at a new planet somewhere in a distant galaxy. After all, as scientists tell us, our planet Earth will soon look like a new planet, with conditions radically changed from the 'climate niche' of the past 10,000 years, during which human civilization developed. Once settled on the new planet, our task is to terraform it, to build a new natural environment fit for human life and human flourishing. My general approach to the politics of climate change thus differs from the most common view among environmentalists. I do not believe we can speak of climate change as a product of the Anthropocene, the human-built world. Our inability to control the consequences of climate change shows this is still at heart a natural process, one triggered by human beings or, more specifically, by our limited ability to control natural processes and therefore by our incapacity to control the unintended consequences of our actions and choices. The solution to the climate emergency is not to exit the Anthropocene but, intriguingly, to enter it for the first time. The world building is a task significantly full of existential meaning and urgency.

Pandemic, a catalyst for change: Strategic planning for digital education in English secondary schools, before during and post Covid

Following lockdowns in 2020 owing to Covid‐19, schools needed to find a way to ensure the education of their pupils. In order to do this, they engaged in digital learning, to varying extents. Innovations emanated from all school staff including, for example, teachers, leaders and teaching assistants. Some were already innovating in this area and brought forward and implemented digital strategies, while others engaged with digital learning for the first time. While research is emerging about the effects of the pandemic restrictions on pupils and staff in relation to key issues such as mental health and educational attainment, very little is known about the impact on school leaders' strategic planning processes. To address this gap, this paper draws on a UK Research and Innovation funded study adopting a strategy as learning approach to report on 50 qualitative interviews with school leaders to examine digital strategy in English secondary schools, before, during and after July 2021, when restrictions were lifted in England. It draws on strategy as learning literature to evaluate if schools have changed their strategic planning for digital learning, as a direct response to having learned and innovated during the pandemic. The paper concludes that there is evidence that digital innovations during the pandemic have changed the ways in which leaders think about their digital strategy, thus supporting a strategy as learning approach. However it also concludes that although there is ample evidence that the pandemic has changed the way many schools view digital learning, for some schools, there remain persistent barriers to digital integration and planning. These emanate both from material and cultural considerations, as well as leader vision and belief in digital learning.

The Pandemic Consumer Response: A Stockpiling Perspective and Shopping Channel Preferences

Covid‐19 has changed consumer behaviour, probably forever. Initial consumer stockpiling led to stockouts, threat and uncertainty for consumers. To overcome shortages, consumers expanded their use of channels and many consumers started buying online for the first time. In this paper, we aim to address important research gaps related to consumer behaviour during the pandemic and especially stockpiling. Our paper starts by presenting the findings of our pre‐study, which used social media to elicit or confirm potential constructs for our quantitative models. These constructs complemented the protection motivations theory to explain stockpiling behaviour, forming the basis for study 1, the stockpiling preparation stage and study 2, the effects of the Covid‐19 pandemic disruptor on customer service logistics and lockdown shopping channel preferences. For studies 1 and 2 we gathered data via a UK online panel‐structured questionnaire survey (n = 603). Results confirm that consumer‐driven changes to supply chains emanate largely from consumer uncertainty. Lockdown restrictions led to consumers feeling socially excluded, but enhanced consumers' positive attitudes towards shopping online and increased consumers' altruism. In response, consumers stockpiled by visiting physical stores and/or ordering online. Lockdown restrictions led to feelings of social exclusion but, importantly, stockpiling helped to minimize consumer anxiety and fear and even increase wellbeing.

National qualifications in Scotland: A lightning rod for public concern about equity during the pandemic

Scotland, traditionally, has high levels of confidence in teachers. Fairness and justice are key concepts in policy and practice in Scottish education. For more than 100 years, the high‐stakes assessment system in Scotland, with the Scottish Higher qualification at its heart, has been crucial to that sense of opportunity and justice. However, in 2019–2020, public confidence in high‐stakes assessment in Scotland, as in other United Kingdom countries, was dented. In Scotland, the Covid‐19 pandemic meant that schools were closed, teachers provided online learning opportunities for pupils working at home and, for the first time in 130 years, it was not possible to run national examinations. To ensure that learners were not further disadvantaged, alternative approaches to gathering evidence for qualifications were instigated. However, these results were challenged as socially unjust and the results that had been nationally moderated were replaced by results based on locally moderated teachers' professional judgement. As Scotland looks to qualifications beyond Covid‐19, trust must be re‐built. This article reports on a participative research project that sought to understand public perceptions of standards and fairness across a range of key communities following this experience. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data, we analyse factors which affected trust in National Qualifications under the pandemic. The evidence suggests that when considering what matters for qualifications to be trusted, technocratic solutions are likely to be rejected by stakeholders. Understanding and responding to what led to the mistrust of qualifications in Scotland will be crucial to inform its future qualifications system.

School food at home: Brazil's national school food programme (PNAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered students' food access, particularly low-income students who rely on schools for their primary daily meals. School food programmes have adapted to pandemic conditions by providing school food at home (SF@H). We conceptually explore the changing geographies of school food during the pandemic by examining adaptations by Brazil's national school food programme (PNAE) and then comparing it to regular school food provision. Our research is informed by 43 interviews with public officials and civil society representatives from all regions of Brazil, ranging from high-level technocrats to frontline responders engaged with school food. Rapid response through national school food policy allowed schools to provide food at home as a pandemic relief effort by creating novel alternative food geographies that keep schools at the heart of agri-food systems. SF@H provide local family farmers with an alternative commercialisation channel to those compromised because of social distancing measures. SF@H also provided students – and, for the first time, their families – with access to food during home-based learning. While this has been important, we find that even when the state provides SF@H as a pandemic relief measure, low-income families are subject to additional burdens that accentuate the inequalities previously ameliorated at schools.Alternate :ResumenEl cierre de escuelas durante la pandemia del COVID-19 ha dificultado el acceso a los alimentos de los estudiantes, en particular de los estudiantes de bajos ingresos que dependen de las escuelas para sus comidas diarias principales. Los programas de alimentación escolar se han adaptado a las condiciones de la pandemia al proporcionar alimentación escolar en el hogar (SF@H). Exploramos conceptualmente las geografías cambiantes de la alimentación escolar durante la pandemia al examinar las adaptaciones del Programa Nacional de Alimentación Escolar (PNAE) de Brasil y luego compararlo con la provisión regular de alimentos escolar. Nuestra investigación se basa en 43 entrevistas con funcionarios públicos y representantes de la sociedad civil de todas las regiones de Brasil, desde tecnócratas de alto nivel hasta personal de primera línea comprometidos con la alimentación escolar. La respuesta rápida a través de la política nacional de alimentación escolar permitió a las escuelas proporcionar alimentos en el hogar como un esfuerzo de alivio a la pandemia mediante la creación de novedosas geografías alimentarias alternativas que mantuvieron a las escuelas en el corazón de los sistemas agroalimentarios. SF@H brinda a los agricultores locales familiares un canal de comercialización alternativo para aquellos comprometidos debido a las medidas de distanciamiento social. SF@H también proporcionó a los estudiantes y, por primera vez, a sus familias, acceso a alimentos durante el aprendizaje en el hogar. Si bien esto ha sido importante, encontramos que incluso cuando el Estado proporciona SF@H como medida de alivio a la pandemia, las familias de bajos ingresos están sujetas a cargas adicionales que acentúan las desigualdades que antes se mejoraban en las escuelas.

Chinese Tales of Epidemics: In Search of Hope amid Despair

Tales (gushi in Chinese, including all narrative genres) are like living fossils-preserving not only historical events in general, but also behaviors and beliefs in specific places and in specific cultural groups. Therefore, Chinese tales of epidemics reveal fundamental beliefs in and life-views toward not only epidemics, but also the meaning of living a life. The three parts in this paper are intended to tell a long story: first providing some basic terms and concepts related to epidemics;second presenting, for the first time in English, seven tales spanning a two-millennia history up to the present day which show the struggles between the human and the god/ghost/wu-shaman of epidemics;and, finally, offering some reflections upon the realities we are facing in the current COVID-19 pandemic.1

Impact of natural disasters and pandemics on blood supply: A systematic review

Background: Natural disasters and pandemics can be highly challenging to blood supply chains. This review aimed to assess the impacts of pandemics and natural disasters on blood donation globally, appraise any similarities and differences, and provide an overview of the mitigation strategies and optimizations applied as well as risks modelling undertaken. Method(s): Full text, peer-reviewed articles that studied the impact of any pandemic and natural disaster on blood donation, blood supply management, and modelling searchable in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library between Jan 1980 and Jan 2023, inclusive were included. We performed quality assessments and summarised potential lessons learned. Result(s): Overall, 98 studies were identified and assessed in this review, of which 58 were related to pandemics and 17 related to natural disasters. 97% of the studies on pandemics and blood donation were on COVID-19, while 88% of studies on natural disasters were on earthquakes. We confirmed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, blood donation numbers decreased compared to the pre-pandemic period, while just after an earthquake, blood donation numbers tended to increase, which in both cases put the blood supply chain under pressure (creating shortage or wastage). The increase of first-time donors was higher after a sudden destructive earthquake than after the COVID-19 pandemic. Public awareness campaigns, donors transportation, home visits, measures to minimize wastage of blood components, activation of contingency plans, and altering donor eligibility criteria were implemented to help the blood supply chain to respond to the demand and reduce wastage. However, no pandemic plans, per se were identified highlighting the lack of an emergency plan in collaboration with health authorities. Several optimization models were developed to help the blood supply chain reduce costs and identify faster transportation in times of earthquake, however, optimization models targeting a pandemic were lacking, as were risk modelling analyses for both events. Conclusion(s): Optimization models, risk modelling, serosurveillance and haemovigilance should be combined with infectious diseases case surveillance to better prepare the whole supply chain logistics to safely attend the demand. Findings on blood donor demographics were inconclusive during or after major events, which highlight the need for further investigations.Copyright © 2023 The Authors

Population Redistribution Trends in Nonmetropolitan America, 2010 to 2021

Given the turbulent conditions of the early 21st century and the release of data from the 2020 Census, it is an appropriate time to examine contemporary population redistribution trends in nonmetropolitan America. Analysis centers on the major demographic components of population change: migration;and natural increase. The analysis demonstrates that the turbulent economic, social, and now epidemiological conditions of recent years altered traditional demographic trends in nonmetropolitan America. For the first time in history, nonmetropolitan America lost population between 2010 and 2020 because of shifts in migration trends and diminishing natural increase. In contrast, post‐censal population estimates suggest that nonmetropolitan population gains exceeded those in metropolitan areas for the first time in 50 years between 2020 and 2021. The recent widespread nonmetropolitan population increases are the result of substantial net migration gains that offset the growing natural decrease fostered by COVID‐19. Sustained net migration gains in nonmetro areas provides a demographic lifeline to many counties that would otherwise face depopulation because of accelerating natural decrease. Whether these migration patterns can be sustained remains to be seen.

Demographics of first-time donors returning for donation during the pandemic: COVID-19 convalescent plasma versus standard blood product donors.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated low first-time donor return rates (DRR) following catastrophic events. Little is known, however, about the influence of demographic factors on the DRR of first-time donors during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the unique motivation of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donors as compared to non-CCP donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Thirteen blood collection organizations submitted deidentified data from first-time CCP and non-CCP donors returning for regular (non-CCP) donations during the pandemic. DRR was calculated as frequencies. Demographic factors associated with returning donors: race/ethnicity, gender, and generation (Gen Z: 19-24, Millennial: 25-40, Gen X: 41-56, and Boomer: ≥57 years old), within the CCP and non-CCP first-time cohorts were compared using chi-square test at p < .05 statistical significance. RESULTS: From March 2020 through December 2021, there were a total of 44,274 first-time CCP and 980,201 first-time non-CCP donors. DRR were 14.6% (range 11.9%-43.3%) and 46.6% (range 10.0%-76.9%) for CCP and non-CCP cohorts, respectively. Age over 40 years (Gen X and Boomers), female gender, and White race were each associated with higher return in both donor cohorts (p < .001). For the non-CCP return donor cohort, the Millennial and Boomers were comparable. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate differences in returning donor trends between the two donor cohorts. The motivation of a first-time CCP donor may be different than that of a non-CCP donor. Further study to improve first-time donor engagement would be worthwhile to expand the donor base with a focus on blood donor diversity emphasizing engagement of underrepresented minorities and younger donors.

The Prior-to-isolation Psychosocial Experiences of COVID-19 Diagnosed Patients: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Background: Changes that occurred during COVID-19 pandemic have caused people to have various responses when receiving a diagnosis of COVID-19;among others are stigma in society, lack of knowledge, various social media news that affect people's beliefs, and mental health during the pandemic. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial experiences of patients before and when they were first diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, we involved 19 COVID-19 survivors who were medically diagnosed and confirmed positive for COVID-19 in the first 6 months of the pandemic entering Indonesia, located in Madiun Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia. We conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with health protocols and analyzed using the 6-step of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. Results: Three themed-findings illustrate patients' psychosocial experiences before being diagnosed: 1) cooperative behavior during the pandemic (with sub themes: recognizing symptoms and looking for medical help);2) Navigating feelings when first received a diagnosis (with sub themes: being worried about the diagnosis, suspecting infection based on exposure history, and acknowledging the existence of COVID-19);and 3) Early psychosocial responses (with sub-themes: psychological response, cognitive response, behavioral response, family responses, and social response). Conclusion: Exploring the experiences of patients with confirmed COVID-19 before and undergoing the isolation period can provide opportunities to improve the quality of physical and psychological services starting from prevention and assistance when receiving a diagnosis so as not to experience a worsening of the condition during treatment. Recommendations are for further study about COVID-19 survivors among children and adolescents who have been treated in the intensive care unit. © The Author(s) 2022.

POLIO: A WAKE-UP CALL: THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTH VISITORS' ASSOCIATION

Polio virus, which causes a deadly disease that used to paralyze tens of thousands of children worldwide every year in the 1950s and 60s, is now spreading in London, New York and Jerusalem. It's happening for the first time in decades, spurring catch-up vaccination campaigns. A type 2 virus, related to the strain in the live oral vaccine used overseas, was first identified in samples from sewage works in north London in February. The virus has since been found in eight more treatment plants in different districts of the capital. Decades ago, before the introduction of the polio vaccination programme, up to 8000 people would develop paralysis due to polio every year in the UK.

First-Time Chinese Online Students' Expectations of Their Instructors in Fully Online Learning Environments

The global COVID-19 lockdowns caused universities to shift from face-to-face instruction to online. Since online teaching was used as a supplement to the traditional in-person instruction before the pandemic in China, Chinese college students were forced to learn in fully online learning (FOL) environments with very little preparation. These first-time online students faced challenges that significantly impacted their confidence and ability to succeed as online learners. Fortunately, the instructor can play a crucial role in conducting early interventions to reduce students' online learning anxiety but understanding these students' expectations of their online instructor is necessary for using appropriate teaching strategies. As a result, this study investigates 439 first-time Chinese online students' expectations of their instructor in FOL environments during the emergent transition. Results indicate that several characteristics are highly expected by new online Chinese learners, such as being familiar with technology, being knowledgeable about the subject, and respecting other students. This study is expected to point Chinese universities and others toward best practices in preparing their faculty members for online course instruction, thus further enhancing first-time online students' learning experiences. © 2022, The Online Learning Consortium. All rights reserved.

EL TURISMO EN ESPAÑA ANTE EL COVID-19: EL EFECTO FRONTERA EN EL TURISMO INTERNACIONAL E INTERREGIONAL (*)

Por las características del sector y de la actividad turística, el Impacto de la pandemia del COVID-19 en el turismo ha sido desproporcionado. En el artículo describimos y explicamos la lógica económica del desempeño del sector en algunas de sus principales dimensiones en los años 2020 y 2021. Resalta en esta panorámica la observada mayor resiliencia del turismo doméstico frente al turismo internacional. Por ello, desarrollamos un análisis empírico del efecto frontera en el turismo internacional e interregional por parte de los residentes españoles, cuantiflcando por primera vez ambos efectos, antes y a lo largo de la pandemia.Alternate :The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism sector has been disproportionate because of its characteristics. In the article we describe and explain the economic logic of the performance of the sector in some of its main dimensions in the years 2020 and 2021. The observed greater resilience of domestic tourism compared to international tourism stands out in this panorama. Hence, we develop an empirical analysis of the border effect on international and interregional tourism by Spanish residents, quantifying for the first time both effects, before and throughout the pandemic.

Calais Again

Calais Again is a digital story recounting a young man, Anas’ experience of returning to France for the first time after migrating to the United Kingdom as a separated asylum-seeking child. Produced using biographical narrative and participatory arts-based research approaches, Calais Again was created as a rare self-authored contribution to Anas’ personal archive of migration documents, and as a resource for communicating the multiple and multi-layered journeys of asylum-seeking young people. In the context of COVID-19, the story additionally highlights how the pandemic is just one of many forces of ontological insecurity and constrained mobility in the lives of young forced migrants. While the project was commenced pre-pandemic, the editing and launch of the digital story took place remotely, presenting ethical, methodological and relational challenges, but also unanticipated affordances. In particular, the spectrum of options for differentiated presence enabled by online events – from anonymous observation to co-presentation – offers unique opportunities for navigating safeguarding and agency for youth researchers.

Santé critique: Inégalités sociales et rapports de domination dans le champ de la santé

La crise sanitaire engendrée par la pandémie de Covid-19 a remis au centre de l’actualité les inégalités face à la maladie et à la mort. On ne souffre pas partout autant du coronavirus, que ce soit en termes de mortalité, de risques de contamination ou de conséquences des mesures sanitaires sur les conditions de vie. Ce constat révèle le puissant vecteur d’inégalités que constitue la santé, en même temps qu’il met au jour le caractère multiple de ces inégalités, et ce faisant multifactoriel de leur analyse. La pandémie de Covid-19 creuse ainsi des inégalités qu’elle contribue en même temps à (re)mettre au centre du débat public. Ce double mouvement conduit à interroger les effets que peut produire une crise sur les paradigmes à l’œuvre tant dans l’action publique que dans le champ scientifique. Pour ce faire, nous proposons de nous décentrer du moment critique que nous traversons pour resituer, dans une plus longue durée, la place qu’a occupée dans ces deux champs la question des « inégalités sociales de santé » et les grilles d’analyse par lesquelles celles-ci ont été saisies.Depuis le début des années 2000 et plus encore ces dix dernières années, cette thématique s’est en effet développée dans l’action publique comme dans les recherches en sociologie de la santé. Du côté de l’action publique, la « réduction des inégalités sociales et territoriales de santé » a ainsi pris le relais de la « lutte contre l’exclusion » (notamment des soins de santé) qui prévalait jusqu’à la fin des années 1990, jusqu’à constituer u…Alternate :The health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has put the issue of inequalities with regard to illness and death back under the spotlight. The coronavirus pandemic has not affected people in the same way everywhere, whether in terms of mortality, the risk of infection, or the impact that health measures have on living conditions. This observation shows how powerful the field of health is as a driver of inequalities, while at the same time helping us see that there are multiple inequalities and thus many different factors involved in analyzing them. The COVID-19 pandemic is thus widening inequalities, even as it puts them—in some cases not for the first time—at the forefront of public debate. These twin developments invite us to investigate the effects that a crisis can have on the paradigms that are at work both at the level of public policy and in the scientific field. To do this, we propose to take a step back from the critical moment we are currently experiencing and to look both at the place that the issue of “social inequalities in health” has occupied in these two fields over time, and at the analytical frameworks that have been used to understand them.Since the early 2000s, and even more so in the last ten years, this issue has indeed evolved both in public policy and in research on the sociology of health. In terms of public policy, the “reduction of social and territorial inequalities in health” has thus taken over from the “fight against exclusion” (particularly from health care)—an issue that had been dominant until the late 1990s—and has been …

COVID-19 and Beyond: The Ethical Challenges of Resetting Higher Education Institutions Services during and after the Pandemic

COVID-19 was discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and since then it has spread to all parts of the world. The world almost came to a standstill in 2020 as only essential services were allowed to operate and those who could work remotely, worked from home. For the first time in modern history, newsrooms were moved to homes, classrooms moved online, and many other services were reconfigured. Online services and the internet became essential. In this context, questions like, "How do educational systems react ethically to the ongoing challenges raised by the pandemic?" and, "What ethical values should underpin the resetting of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)?" need to be answered. In this paper, based on desktop research, an examination of some of the ethical challenges confronting those running HEIs, researchers and lecturers as they are adapting to the 'new normal' is explored. This new operating environment creates difficult ethical choices. Findings from this study has shown that all South African HEIs managed to transition to online learning. However, the transition was not uniform, given the country's background and economic divide. A number of barriers such as cost, electricity availability and internet access have been identified. Recommendations are made as to how HEIs in South Africa may protect their integrity and at the same time adapt to the new normal.

Do governance capacity and legitimacy affect citizens' satisfaction with COVID-19 management? Some evidence from South Asia

Purpose>Theoretically, both democ/ratic legitimacy and government capacity are necessary for successful crisis management, like the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors argue that there are important variations for pandemic management in the developed and democratic world. However, are these equally needed in the developing world where democracy and capacity are present in varying degrees and in some countries with a vast deficit? This article analyzes how legitimacy and capacity affect citizens' satisfaction with the pandemic management in South Asia.Design/methodology/approach>The study is based on a survey of 3,423 randomly selected respondents from Facebook users in South Asia. The survey data are presented and discussed along with information derived from secondary sources to put the data in the broader context of the South Asian countries. The authors apply ordinary linear regression for statistical analysis.Findings>The findings suggest that citizens are content with the performance of government institutions in COVID-19 management. They emphasize material well-being, such as relief provisions and financial incentives during the crisis period. They are, however, less concerned about the legitimacy dimension, although democracy in South Asia is flawed with excessive restrictions on public freedom during the pandemic. The contradictory findings may be due to the public orientation towards authoritarian culture and their preference for strongman rule in crisis management.Practical implications>The governments in South Asia may systematically use army and police forces to manage crises as people are more satisfied with their performance during COVID-19 management.Originality/value>This is the first time data across South Asia have been collected and analyzed about crisis management.

Women, Do We Support One Another? Voting Behavior of Indonesian Female College Students for a Female Candidate amidst Covid-19 Pandemic

This study seeks to analyze and describe the voting behavior of female college students for a female candidate in Indonesia at Banjarmasin Mayoral Election in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, political campaigns were mainly switched to communication and information technology with a lack of mass gatherings and direct political campaigns due to Covid-19 health protocols. In a predominantly Muslim and highly patriarchal society, this is also the second time this province to have a female candidate for this position and the first time for this city. Amidst the negative stereotypes of a female candidate and the attacks from the opponents, this female candidate managed to gain second place. Disputes emerged, and the court decided to hold re-election in three sub-districts. The disputes and the campaign dynamics show how this society at large perceives a female candidate. This study elaborates on the possible affecting factors in voting behavior, i.e., religious interpretation, ethnicity, gender, the role of media, perceptions of voters related to candidate's age and programs, political party affiliation, the role of family, and peers. This research method combines quantitative and qualitative methods with the focus on the qualitative method which is based on interviews and literature analysis. This study collected the data based on online surveys and interviews of Lambung Mangkurat University students, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, where the election was held. The selection for college student respondents aims to focus on young, educated voters and control the variables of education, age, and socioeconomic factors of voters or the effects of social class, which are also often, considered affecting variables in voting behavior. Therefore the factors of education, age, and socioeconomic variables are not the focus of analysis. Hence, this study may be transferable to analyze the voting behavior of young, educated, and no-income group which makes up a significant percentage of Indonesian voters.

‘Equitable to the extent possible’. The impact of the social-health crisis on the development of coparenting in first-time parental couples

The birth of the first child is a period of transformation and adjustments for the whole family system which results in dynamics that influence its development and tend to remain stable during the child's first years of life. The present study sought to identify the impact of the social and health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction of coparenting in first-time parental couples. To determine the evolution of the dynamics of caregiving tasks, we employed a qualitative and longitudinal methodology in our study of 12 heterosexual couples of legal age who co-resided in Santiago de Chile. The main impact of the social-health crisis was the novel opportunity for the triad to spend the first year of life of the baby in the same space, which is interpreted positively by the parental couple. Even though there persist some traditional representations and beliefs that portray mothers as experts in upbringing, the pandemic context has made it possible to problematize this view, in a process that can be interpreted as a transition toward equitableness. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Family Studies is the property of Routledge 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.)

Adapting to technology tools in a learning environment: A case study of first-year students at a traditional African university

The introduction of technology to teaching and learning has brought about modernisation of academic activities. The drastic paradigm shift faced by the education sector is inevitable, especially as the impact of the much-touted Fourth Industrial Revolution is being felt in key sectors of the economy. This reality imposes the need for technology-enhanced learning for tertiary students as it represents the future of the workplace for which they are being prepared at university. For effective learning to take place, institutions need to incorporate technological tools in their teaching and learning. Adapting to a myriad of technology tools can be challenging, especially for less privileged learners who might be adjusting to tertiary life and previously have not been exposed to the basics of computers and other technology tools. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that most of these learners are experiencing the independence of tertiary education for the first time and are still struggling to balance their academic workload with the anxieties of social blending. This paper investigated how first-year students at a traditional, previously disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, adapted to Blackboard Learn (also referred to as WiseUP), the learning management system (LMS) adapted for blended learning at the university. The paper explored the challenges faced by the new students and thereafter employed a combination of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Technology Acceptance Model to build a new model, which reveals the critical factors that influence students to embrace technology. This model will assist lecturers, faculty and student support structures to understand the underpinning factors that influence first-year students to embrace the technology tool, namely, the university's LMS. Quantitative data collection and analysis were used in the case study, which was conducted with two groups of first-year students in management and information technology courses. Results show the significant factors that influence students' attitudes positively towards the use of technology for learning.