As the coronavirus pandemic continues with still no end in sight the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has put out a call for attendance and participation in a symposium around life in these trying times and the effect of this on society.
“Through the presentation of short papers, we want to engage in critical discussion to develop ideas that will build knowledge in health sociology and the social sciences and shape a future agenda to look at the impact of the pandemic and its aftermath in South Africa the region and beyond,” reads a description for the event.
To that end Wits invites postgraduate students, researchers and academics to the event which is free to attend and will be taking place online between 4th and 5th April.
Interestingly policymakers are also invited to the event. While it’s not uncommon for those from the government to attend certain events in the education sphere, these kinds of talks are important for keeping them as informed as possible when it comes to making decisions for the country, so hopefully we see a few members making an appearance.
Those who would like to participate in the event are encouraged to submit an abstract. Submissions for these have been extended to 18th March and need to be sent to Covid-19[dot]HealthSociology[at]wits[dot]ac[dot]za.
For some guidance on what Wits is looking for from these abstracts, it’s worth reading over the themes of the planned discussions taking place at the symposium:
- “Coping with the uncertainties of life during the Covid-19 pandemic; collective forms of organisation and livelihoods
- Government responses to the pandemic and its impact on vulnerable communities through the various levels of lockdown
- Socio-cultural expression and rituals in the everyday and mundane, the sacred and transcendent
- Illness experiences, subjectivities, and living with the chronicity of long Covid
- Healthcare workers and healthcare institutions, insiders, responding to the pandemic
- Researching social life amidst a pandemic: shortfalls and new possibilities of knowing.”
More information about the symposium can be found here on the Wits website.
