Bristol University Press
1 In the Shadow of the Pandemic
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Barbara Czarniawska
Abstract
The idea for this book was originally formulated in March 2020, when, surprised by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, we realized there was a unique opportunity to document the impact of the pandemic on people working in various parts of public welfare. The chapter introduces the focus of our field studies on workers who were acting in the shadow of the pandemic – that is, in areas of welfare that are not usually associated with professions and occupations fighting COVID-19 ‘on the front line’. As social scientists who had studied the Swedish public welfare sector for many years, we saw an opportunity to follow challenges and changes in work tasks and working conditions for teachers and healthcare professionals, as well as librarians, day-care staff, government investigators, municipal administrators and many other public sector workers.
Abstract
The idea for this book was originally formulated in March 2020, when, surprised by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, we realized there was a unique opportunity to document the impact of the pandemic on people working in various parts of public welfare. The chapter introduces the focus of our field studies on workers who were acting in the shadow of the pandemic – that is, in areas of welfare that are not usually associated with professions and occupations fighting COVID-19 ‘on the front line’. As social scientists who had studied the Swedish public welfare sector for many years, we saw an opportunity to follow challenges and changes in work tasks and working conditions for teachers and healthcare professionals, as well as librarians, day-care staff, government investigators, municipal administrators and many other public sector workers.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of Figures and Tables vi
- About the Authors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Preface x
- In the Shadow of the Pandemic 1
- The Public Sector and the Pandemic: The State of Knowledge 10
- Waking Up to a New World 19
- The New, the Old and the New Old 38
- Working in the New Normal 48
- The Pandemic Comes in Waves 57
- Making Magic 63
- School: A Profession with Multiple Responsibilities 72
- Librarians, Libraries and Social Mission during the Pandemic 88
- Courts and the Pandemic – Virtual Trials and Algorithmic (In)justice 102
- Organizing Welfare under Extraordinary Circumstances 114
- Pandemicracy 124
- Epilogue 129
- Commentaries on Method for Chapters 9 and 10 133
- Details of Field Work 136
- Notes 139
- References 141
- Index 151
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of Figures and Tables vi
- About the Authors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Preface x
- In the Shadow of the Pandemic 1
- The Public Sector and the Pandemic: The State of Knowledge 10
- Waking Up to a New World 19
- The New, the Old and the New Old 38
- Working in the New Normal 48
- The Pandemic Comes in Waves 57
- Making Magic 63
- School: A Profession with Multiple Responsibilities 72
- Librarians, Libraries and Social Mission during the Pandemic 88
- Courts and the Pandemic – Virtual Trials and Algorithmic (In)justice 102
- Organizing Welfare under Extraordinary Circumstances 114
- Pandemicracy 124
- Epilogue 129
- Commentaries on Method for Chapters 9 and 10 133
- Details of Field Work 136
- Notes 139
- References 141
- Index 151
