St Francis of Assisi, one of the most acclaimed and enduring of saints, is particularly significant when reflecting upon the COVID pandemic. Francis lived, and ministered, amid a leprosy pandemic. How he lived in relation to that pandemic makes him a source of insight to as well as a potential critic of contemporary responses to COVID. In turn, one can use COVID to question Francis. Did he exhibit a harmful form of religious devotion, perhaps fanaticism, by exposing himself and others to a lethal pathogen? This edited collection examines a highly visible and impactful religious figure with the intent of bringing him into conversation with one of the defining issues of the early 21st Century.

This book offers an original and timeous snapshot of contemporary lines of argument from various authors in the Global South on the Covid-19 pandemic as a complex emergency at the height of the pandemic. At the time of writing, there were various levels of uncertainties from different countries, citizens, the public and private sectors, industries and economies who were in disarray. The book traces the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in the province of Wuhan in China, the challenges, and the responses from a multiplicity of countries particularly from the Global South. Of particular importance, the book notes that vaccine uncertainty, limiting the spread of the virus and loss of life and employment, were some of the major challenges that these governments and citizens were confronted with. Also, the sizes of various economies lead to various challenges that the abovementioned governments shouldered. The contributors shed light on various aspects related to the Covid-19 pandemic from various countries in the Global South and include, but were not limited to securitised lockdowns, the use of militaries and complete closures of national (and sometimes fragile) economies, as well as overburdened health systems. These are just some dire consequences of Covid-19 on the public and private sector, industries and economy. The book emphasises that despite myriad challenges reported, there are various lessons that can be learnt in terms of how the countries responded to the pandemic, and in terms of how future pandemics can be handled. Finally, this is an interesting piece of work wherein contributors, as a collective, seek to shed light with regards to the unique perspectives from the Global South and at the same time give some guidance, related to their specific areas of focus.

This book focuses on the lived experiences of higher education professionals working in the face of stress, pressure and the threat of burnout and how acts of self-care and wellbeing can support, develop and maintain a sense of self. In considering the place of self-care in higher education, we are challenged with the tension that exists when it comes to the valuing of self-care and our individual and collective wellbeing. In Reflections on Valuing Wellbeing in Higher Education, authors present and explore the ways in which they manage and reframe their wellbeing and self-care, through mindfulness, compassion, connection to breath, ref lection, demonstrating individual and collective embodiment and resistance to neoliberalism and environmental destruction. Covering various contexts of higher education, such as learning and teaching, research, leadership and engagement, this book offers practical strategies grounded in literature and evidence-based research. The self in self-care is relational. It is not just about self. We need others for inspiration, motivation and, indeed, the act. This book will be of great interest to professionals and researchers specifically interested in studies in higher education, wellbeing and/or identity as well as those navigating a career in higher education.

Experts review the leading social policy scholarship from the past year in this comprehensive volume. Published in association with the Social Policy Association, the latest volume in this long-running series addresses current issues and critical debates throughout the international social policy field with a particular focus on employment policy, housing policy and climate justice. Contributors also explore key developments including researching during the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants’ access to social benefits in Germany, the right(s) to healthcare in Italy, American and European homelessness policies and much more. This annual review is essential reading for students and academics in social policy, social welfare and related disciplines.

COVID wrought havoc on the world’s economic systems. Higher education did not escape the ravages brought on by the pandemic as institutions of higher education around the world faced major upheavals in their educational delivery systems. Some institutions were prepared for the required transition to online learning. Most were not. Whether prepared or not, educators rose to the challenge. The innovativeness of educators met the challenges as digital learning replaced the face-to-face environment. In fact, some of the distance models proved so engaging that many students no longer desire a return to the face-to-face model. As with all transitions, some things were lost while others were gained. This book examines practice in the field as institutions struggled to face the worst global pandemic in the last century. The book is organized into four sections on 'Embracing Quality Assurance”, 'Educational Standards and Quality Assurance”, 'Evaluating Educational Access” and 'Why Assessment?”. It presents various perspectives from educators around the world to illustrate the struggles and triumphs of those facing new challenges and implementing new ideas to empower the educational process. These discussions shed light on the impact of the pandemic and the future of higher education post-COVID. Higher education has been forever changed, and higher education as it once was may never return. While many questions arise, the achievements in meeting and overcoming the pandemic illustrate the creativity and innovativeness of educators around the world who inspired future generations of learners to reach new heights of accomplishment even in the face of the pandemic.

COVID-19 is profoundly affecting the ways in which we live, learn, plan, and develop. What does COVID-19 mean for the future of digital information use and delivery, and for more traditional forms of library provision? Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID gives immediate and long-term solutions for librarians responding to the challenge of COVID-19. The book helps library leaders prepare for a post-COVID-19 world, giving guidance on developing sustainable solutions. The need for sustainable digital access has now become acute, and while offering a physical space will remain important, current events are likely to trigger a shift toward off-site working and study, making online access to information more crucial. Libraries have already been providing access to digital information as a premium service. New forms and use of materials all serve to eliminate the need for direct contact in a physical space. Such spaces will come to be predicated on evolving systems of digital information, as critical needs are met by remote delivery of goods and services. Intensified financial pressure will also shape the future, with a reassessment of information and its commercial value. In response, there will be a massification of provision through increased cooperation and collaboration. These significant transitions are driving professionals to rethink and question their identities, values, and purpose. This book responds to these issues by examining the practicalities of running a library during and after the pandemic, answering questions such as: What do we know so far? How are institutions coping? Where are providers placing themselves on the digital/print and the remote/face-to-face continuums? This edited volume gives analysis and examples from around the globe on how libraries are managing to deliver access and services during COVID-19. This practical and thoughtful book provides a framework within which library directors and their staff can plan sustainable services and collections for an uncertain future. - Focuses on the immediate practicalities of service provision under COVID-19 - Considers longer-term strategic responses to emerging challenges - Identifies key concerns and problems for librarians and library leaders - Analyzes approaches to COVID-19 planning - Presents and examines exemplars of best practice from around the world - Offers practical models and a useful framework for the future

This book sheds light on how humans deal with adversity, especially in uncertain and turbulent times, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resilience theory has become popular in scholarly discourse, and the term is difficult to define as so many opinions exist. This book aims to engage critically with resilience theory as a scholarly debate from the unique vantage point of the world of social work as well as theology. This specific aspect of originality contributes to the generation of new knowledge in the broad field of social sciences and humanities. The inception of the book stems from an interdisciplinary conference held at Hugenote Kollege, Wellington, where scholars from social work as well as theology engaged in a discourse on resilience. Professor Adrian van Breda, a specialist in resilience theory and from the social work department of the University of Johannesburg, was one of the keynote speakers, inspiring scholars to understand what is meant by resilience. Professor Yolanda Dreyer from the University of Pretoria and a seasoned theologian and prolific writer on trauma and resilience, was also a keynote speaker, providing insights from a theological perspective. The collaboration between these two fields of thought is unique and rendered new insights into engaging with resilience. Different methodologies and perspectives from researchers are prevalent as contributors are from different scholarly fields. The book ranges from linguistical, liturgical, philosophical, practical, autoethnographical, anthropological, sociological, and online methodological approaches contributing to ways to deal with traumatic, turbulent and trying times. The book is divided into four main themes that stood out from the results obtained at the conference, namely, (1) religious imagination and resilience, (2) communities and resilience, (3) online teaching and resilience, and (4) the resilience of philosophical questions.

Kraus' Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society provides a detailed introduction to the history, developments, and current trends in leisure studies. The Twelfth Edition focuses on the challenges and opportunities impacting the profession—including dramatic demographic changes, new technologies, and innovations in marketing—through an array of pedagogical features, including engaging sidebars and case studies addressing contemporary issues. Focusing on ten different types of organizations—ranging from nonprofit community organizations and armed forces recreation to sports management and travel and tourism sponsors—the Twelfth Edition is an invaluable resource for students considering a career in the recreation and leisure industry

This book is conceptualized as being of interest to researchers in the field of sustainable transport, and also those who are working in the field. In the first case it will provide a reference on the state of the art of sustainable transport, and will also include insights into an EU project, how to go about delivering impact, how such projects effect local authorities, etc. Sustainable transport is an extreme growth area; it is highly innovative, with multi-million-pound investments transforming cities. The book will help and encourage resource poor small to medium local authorities catch up and meet their sustainability targets.

From acclaimed social scientist Dr. Bella DePaulo, the leading expert on single life, comes groundbreaking, comprehensive confirmation that a powerful, healthy, happy life is possible not in spite of being single, but because of it. All too often society issues dire warnings about the risks of living single. But is finding a spouse or romantic partner really a requirement for a full life? In Single at Heart, Dr. Bella DePaulo speaks on behalf of the millions of people across the globe who are powerfully drawn to single life for all it has to offer and shares what it means to not just be happy being single for a time, but to be happy being single always. This pivotal volume addresses misconceptions about single life head on, spotlighting, celebrating, and supporting those who plan to stay single and sharing research, case studies, anecdotal examples, and more to help family members and friends understand. In richly engaging, evidence-based text, Dr. DePaulo—a Harvard-educated professor and researcher whose Ted Talk on the appeal of staying single has had more that 1.6 million views—supports readers of all genders, ages, and backgrounds who are Single at Heart and advises on topics as diverse as solitude, freedom, intimacy, children, and societal pressure. For Dr. DePaulo, her understanding of herself as Single at Heart provided strength, time, confidence, power, authenticity, deep fulfillment, and more. In Single at Heart she shares what she’s learned as well as the stories of others, in the process inspiring and fueling a movement of people standing up for what is right for them and thriving because of it.