Sign up for live and interactive covid-19 discussions 

Join leading academics from Leeds for a series of live and interactive sessions on YouTube to discuss society’s response to covid-19 and what recovery might look like.

Discuss society’s response to the covid-19 pandemic in a series of live and interactive sessions on YouTube

Covid-19 discussion events. November 2020

Sessions will explore crucial subjects such as inequalities in healthcare and the impact of the pandemic on disabled people, as well as the role of the community and the knock-on effects for the criminal justice system.

Starting the week commencing Monday 7 December, the series will look into the phenomena of fake news, preppers and stockpiling, while examining the lessons our society has learned and the lasting impact of the pandemic. More sessions will be sceduled in the new year.

Dr Tom Campbell, Associate Professor in Social Theory, said: “The covid-19 pandemic has ignited a global crisis that has run through our social, political and legal institutions.

“All of our lives have been touched by the enormous social upheaval it has caused. In this series of live sessions, experts from the faculty of social science will work to begin to understand the inequalities that underlie the pandemic; government and community responses to the crisis and its ongoing social effects; emergent ideas for how we should live together and organise and regulate society in a world changed by the pandemic and its wide-reaching social effects.”

Below is a taster of what you can expect from each of the sessions:

Covid-19 discussion events. November 2020

Investigate how experiences of covid-19 relate to existing health inequalities

Covid-19 and Health Inequality 

Date/time: Tuesday 8 December, 4-4.45pm

Presenters: Nick Emmel, Professor of Social Research Methodology in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, and Dr Tom Campbell, Associate Professor in Social Theory

From early in the covid-19 pandemic, compelling evidence emerged of significant inequalities in health outcomes for different groups, both in the UK and internationally.

Early reports suggested that BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) groups were disproportionately affected by covid-19 in the UK and African Americans in the US, for instance. Subsequent investigations have confirmed these early reports, describing these inequalities. But they have avoided explanations of likely causes.

In this session, we will investigate how experiences of covid-19 relate to existing health inequalities and how we might better understand these through an investigation of the social determinants of health.

Find out more about this session and how to tune in

Covid-19 discussion events. November 2020

This live session asks if, how and whether ‘mutual aid’ should be a feature of everyday community life

Covid-19 and Communities

Date/time: Wednesday 9 December, 3-3.45pm

Presenters: Dr Andrew Wallace, University Academic Fellow in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, and Dr Tom Campbell, Associate Professor in Social Theory

The covid-19 pandemic exacerbated all kinds of social inequalities and vulnerabilities.

At the same time, it unleashed a broad spectrum of social solidarity, including a blooming of mutual aid groups and networks at local neighbourhood scales, supporting those who were shielding or self-isolating. Some of these emerged out of existing civic groups and movements, others were spontaneous.

In this presentation, we will explore what kind of solidarities these represented and how they overlaid the intensified divisions and absences that abound in contemporary societies. We ask if, how and whether ‘mutual aid’ should be a feature of everyday community life.

Find out more about this session and how to tune in

Covid-19 discussion events. November 2020

Explore current research and data into the impact of the pandemic on disabled people

Covid-19 and Disability

Date/time: Thursday 10 December, 3-3.45pm

Presenters: Dr Miro Griffiths, Leverhulme Research Fellow in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, and Dr Tom Campbell, Associate Professor in Social Theory

The covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated disabled people’s marginalisation in society and reinforced discriminatory practices across health, social care, education and broader welfare provision.

This is reflected in the United Nations’ call for states to recognise the socio-economic impact upon the disabled people’s community.

In this presentation, we will explore current research and data into the impact of the pandemic on disabled people. We will consider how, globally, disabled people are subjected to hostile and violent policies that result in the withdrawal of healthcare provision, a promotion of institutionalisation and extensive infringements of disabled people’s human rights.

Finally, we will explore how disabled people – and their organisations – are influencing the policy-making process and consider alternative, possible and preferable policy responses to support disabled people through the pandemic

Find out more about this session and how to tune in

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