Collection

Student Experiences of Covid-19 around the Globe: Insights from the Pandemic Journaling Project

Submission status
Closed
Many students and their families struggled with the loss of livelihood, and many lost loved ones. In addition, students have faced other challenges as well, including severe disruptions to learning and work; decreased access to health care services; emotional struggles associated with loneliness and social isolation; and difficulties exercising essential rights, such as rights to housing, protection from violence, and civic engagement. Not only can such disruptions negatively impact students’ developmental, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being, but they can also exacerbate existing inequities. Growing evidence suggests that the effects of the pandemic have been particularly hard for young women, youth from minoritized populations, and youth in low-income countries. This special issue investigates the range of ways in which Covid-19 has affected the mental health and wellbeing of middle school, high school, and college students in diverse locations around the world, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, China, Vietnam, and South Africa. The articles and reflective essays collected here draw primarily on data collected through the Pandemic Journaling Project, a combined research project and online journaling platform, along with complementary research methods, such as semi-structured interviews and autobiographical writing by students. The collection offers a nuanced, comparative overview of the diverse struggles that students have experienced during the pandemic. By foregrounding the perspectives of students and educators, with a particular emphasis on perspectives from the Global South, the collection also raises important questions about how to address the long-term impact of Covid-19 and create possibilities for a better future.

Editors

  • Heather M. Wurtz, PhD Heather M. Wurtz, PhD , 

    Heather M. Wurtz, PhD

    Postdoctoral Research Associate for the Pandemic Journaling Project. She has a joint affiliation between the Department of Anthropology and the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut and the Population Studies and Training Center at Brown University.

  • Katherine A. Mason, PhD Katherine A. Mason, PhD  &

    Katherine A. Mason, PhD

    Associate Professor of Anthropology at Brown University and Co-Founder of the Pandemic Journaling Project

  • Sarah S. Willen, PhD Sarah S. Willen, PhD

    Sarah S. Willen, PhD

    Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where she also co-directs the Research Program on Global Health & Human Rights at the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute. She is also Co-Founder of the Pandemic Journaling Project.

Articles (8 in this collection)