Dear Colleagues,
Many agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, and some of these changes will never be reverted. In Kuhnian terms (Kuhn, 1970), science will never be the same as before the pandemic, and nor will society. It was not only human interactions, their overall communications, and other social interactions which changed as we shifted to follow “the new normal” and the contexts which have been created as a result; so too did governance, social policy, and the sciences that study and influence them.
However, COVID-19 is not only cause of these changes; it has also played a strong catalyst role to other change-leading factors. There are a series of strong knock-on effects becoming visible everywhere, for all people, for all aspects of their well-being, freedom, and health. A great deal of newly heightened and newly spread poverty and ill health (and mental health problems) are being indirectly caused. Across the globe, there are now new poverty-aggravating surging inflations and new limitations on doing one’s work and one’s professional and daily business. Altogether, the poor and the vulnerable groups are relentlessly exposed to a myriad of cumulative negative changes. This is becoming clear now, and these conundrums are being slowly brought to public and scientific attention.
This Special Issue of the internationally pioneering journal Social Sciences aims to collect quality articles on different difficult situations which all people in the global community, and in particular those vulnerable groups, have endured. All kinds of qualitative and quantitative studies, from all over the world, are welcome. We hope that these studies will reveal how people, governments, and scientists reacted to such life challenges, and how their hardships were eventually faced.
In terms of topic areas, contributors can consider focusing on, for example, poverty outcomes, health outcomes, and new poverty reduction efforts and health care services concerned. Studies on other areas, such as mental health problems and schooling problems, in particular, are also welcome. In addition, e-learning and the online provision of social services and medical services (e.g., consultations) are also highly relevant. Computer-based counseling and digital social work are new areas to be explored and discussed. These emerging social services which cut across traditional social policy areas need to be investigated: how they can be better financed, implemented, coordinated, and evaluated deserves serious discussion in the light of political and social governance.
For universal (general) recommendations to be effective, it is advised to bear in mind that countries vary in terms of economic development. Contributors are encouraged to discuss local issues, as well as global ones. Indigenous measures that best fit the specific social, cultural, and developmental characteristics of a country or a region would be greatly valuable. Additionally, globally applicable policies and services, from a general point of view, as well as theoretical and philosophical works are surely sought after to the highest degree.
Last but not least, it is hoped that this Special Issue will provide insights on social policy and social services that will improve societal well-being and resilience, in the long run—for society to be able to return to a better state, a new normal after this new normal.
Prof. Dr. Christian Aspalter
Prof. Johnston Wong
Guest Editors
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