Throughout history, epidemics gave humans many challenges, but yet also brought with it many visible and hidden opportunities. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is no except, and in this paper, we foresight the opportunities for a better world that this deadly crisis brings to us. We review different opportunities that this virus and similar recent incidents, like SARS, brought to our life. Then, we pause to visualise through rethinking, redefining and reframing the hidden opportunities inside the (COVID-19) and similar coming problems and challenges. This "think outside of the box" paper create new pathways toward more inspiring economies that would address the key elements we started to miss in our development journey. Integrating future foresight into such problem-solving attempts could create for us more future-informed generations that take participatory actions towards humans' complex challenges with high availability and preparedness. The paper concludes with a proposed framework to exploit the opportunities of such a complex crisis while mitigating its risks. Further studies are highly recommended if we are to see solutions that could save humanity from the coming crisis.
Many things have changed in the family's life since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some families suffered conflicts, instability, and even divorce due to the sudden devastating pressures and negative spillovers effects that came as a result of the strict lockdown or social distancing. Other families exploited the opportunities that this pandemic brought and established stronger ties and bonding using its positive spillovers. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on families and how it would emphasis better 'care economy' practices; taking Bahrain as a context. The study used a quantitative analysis applied to a sample of 345 responses. Research results showed that there is an improvement in social care dimensions as a result of the lockdown or the pandemic which affected the family relationships and increased its related measures. The implication of this paper emphasises the positive role of the 'extended family' and its ability to mitigate any coming international crisis similar to COVID-19. This paper sees that we have a 'generation-defining moment' where care economy can take a returning path that use family cohesion to play a major part in flattening any mental health risks due to future international emergencies.
This article examines how the social and cultural context influence the way in which field research methods are utilized. Research methods need to be modified to meet the sensibilities and sensitivities of particular social groups and settings. Through a reflexive analysis of a research study on the lives of visually impaired young people and adults in Bahrain, this article discusses how gender, religion and culture need to be taken account of. It also discusses how the research process needed to take account of the participants' disabilities. It examines the issues of research access, informed consent, researcher's dress, confidentiality, research location, and time. It highlights how the gender of the researcher was constraining in some gender segregated educational settings in a Muslim society. The article engages with the researcher's positionality through reflexive discussion.
BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic many education organizations closed their doors to contain the spread of infection, providing learning continuity by distance and online delivery. OBJECTIVE: To explore the challenges educators faced during emergency remote learning so that others may learn from their experience. METHOD: A case study based on the experience of educators compares how education continuity was provided in Bahrain, Iraq, and Russia. Personal insights gathered using Zoom, complemented by documentary evidence, explore the ‘lived experience’ of the emergency changes made to teaching and learning provision. RESULTS: Whilst teachers and students were ill-prepared, and there were issues with electricity supply, stable Wi-Fi, and access to equipment, most countries were able to offer students access to learning using a combination of distance education and online learning. Benefits accrued were greater familiarity with the use of technology and a revaluing of the importance of social relations in teaching and learning. Early indications are that educational inequities may have been widened as a consequence. CONCLUSION: The challenges facing the education sector fall into three main categories: crisis management and decision making, infrastructure readiness, and student receptiveness. A hybrid approach, which blends face-to-face with online learning, is the way forward in the ‘new normal’ post-pandemic.
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