جامعه شناسی کاربردی (Mar 2024)
Social Vulnerability of the Citizens of Isfahan in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Study
Abstract
IntroductionSocial vulnerability refers to the varying degrees of sensitivity and the adverse effects experienced by individuals due to social, economic, and political factors in the face of a risk (Burton et al., 2018; Crimmins, 2020; Eisler et al., 2021). The scientific and systematic analysis of citizens' vulnerability to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial in identifying and understanding the significant disparities in vulnerability among different socio-economic groups. This analysis not only reveals weaknesses in policy and crisis management, but also helps in formulating appropriate policies to direct economic and cultural resources towards supporting these vulnerable groups and taking effective actions aligned with citizens' needs. In this study, we adopted a hybrid approach to examine the COVID-19 pandemic as a social phenomenon. Firstly, we explored the lived experiences of the citizens of Isfahan and the types of hardships they had faced during the pandemic. Subsequently, we measured and described the state of vulnerability and its various indicators in the entire population of Isfahan. This comprehensive analysis enabled us to analyze the different types of damages caused by the crisis and assess the level of vulnerability among various social groups on a broader and generalizable scale. Materials & MethodsIn terms of methodology, this research followed a mixed qualitative-quantitative sequential approach. The qualitative method employed was of a phenomenological nature. To gather qualitative data, a purposive sampling technique was utilized to select a sample of 30 individuals, who had experienced significant damage from the coronavirus due to their specific circumstances. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these participants and the conversations were transcribed into text format. The data obtained were then analyzed using Colaizzi's method of data analysis, which involved coding and interpretation.In the quantitative part of the study, a survey was conducted to measure the vulnerability of Isfahan citizens to exposure to Corona on a representative sample of all citizens aged 19 to 64 years in the city of Isfahan. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula and a quota sampling method was employed. A total of 483 citizens were included in the study.Discussion of Results & ConclusionsThe findings of this study revealed that the damages experienced by the participants in the face of the coronavirus could be categorized into 5 main categories: social damages, economic damages, educational damages, cultural damages, and institutional damages. Each of these categories further consisted of sub-categories.Under economic damages, 3 sub-categories were identified: treatment costs, burnout, and economic pressure. Educational harms encompassed 3 sub-categories: degradation of education quality, weak internet infrastructure, and reproduction of class inequalities. Cultural damage was found to have 2 sub-categories: erosion of cultural capital and transformation in customs. Institutional harms were classified into 4 sub-categories: inefficiency of government policies, wandering of institutions, institutional mistrust, and inefficiency of the care system. Social harms were divided into 4 sub-categories: intensification of domestic conflict, weakening of social ties, social stigma of Corona, and suspension of social relief.It is important to note that generalizing these results to all citizens of Isfahan required a comprehensive study to be conducted on a representative statistical sample of the society. Furthermore, basing policy-making decisions on these results depended on answering the question of whether the severity of vulnerability among Isfahan citizens in all these dimensions was uniform across different social classes, including low, middle, and high classes.In alignment with the qualitative findings, the quantitative part of the research indicated that the citizens of Isfahan had an average score close to or higher than the average range of scores (equal to 3) in most social harms. However, when comparing the severity of social vulnerability across different dimensions, it was observed that the citizens of Isfahan experienced more cultural and institutional damages compared to other types of damages during the COVID-19 epidemic. On the other hand, they were relatively less vulnerable in terms of economics, work, and family relationships.
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