Milena Wuerth | London School of Economics and Political Science (original) (raw)

Papers by Milena Wuerth

Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, Jul 12, 2021

The central conflict facing policymakers, the voluntary sector, and communities during the Covid-... more The central conflict facing policymakers, the voluntary sector, and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic has been how to keep safe from a virus that is transmitted by social contact while also providing vital support to those in need. This report shows the innovative ways people and organisations have responded to this challenge. They have adapted and built new networks of kinship and care within and between families, friends, and communities. We call these "social infrastructures" and this report shows that economic life and pandemic recovery relies on the strength of these foundational relations. It presents the findings from 12 months of ethnographic, participatory, and quantitative research. In the UK, local and rapid response initiatives saved lives as voluntary sector, religious organisations, and Community Champions built on these relations of care to provide mental health advice, sign-posting to services and vaccine uptake. These innovative social projects also helped people to grieve and recover from losses of life and livelihoods. We argue that both short-and long-term investment in these interlinked social infrastructures is crucial for post-Covid recovery in the UK.

re:think - a journal of creative ethnography, Jun 15, 2021

Corona and Work around the Globe, 2020

London School of Economics and Political Science, Jul 14, 2021

Besides 'the economy' and 'health' lies a neglected area of human life during the pandemic: socia... more Besides 'the economy' and 'health' lies a neglected area of human life during the pandemic: social infrastructures. These vital links, sustained by families and communities, now need to be a priority. The LSE COVID and Care Recovery Group call for both urgent and long term help for voluntary and community groups.

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged communities by placing central importance on communities, social networks and households to the economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and c...

LSE Monograph, 2020

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK, conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged groups by placing central importance on the role of communities, social networks and households in economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and communities.

A Right to Care: The Social Foundations of Recovery from Covid-19, 2020

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK, conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting
disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged groups by placing central importance on the role of communities, social networks and households in economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and communities

Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, Jul 12, 2021

The central conflict facing policymakers, the voluntary sector, and communities during the Covid-... more The central conflict facing policymakers, the voluntary sector, and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic has been how to keep safe from a virus that is transmitted by social contact while also providing vital support to those in need. This report shows the innovative ways people and organisations have responded to this challenge. They have adapted and built new networks of kinship and care within and between families, friends, and communities. We call these "social infrastructures" and this report shows that economic life and pandemic recovery relies on the strength of these foundational relations. It presents the findings from 12 months of ethnographic, participatory, and quantitative research. In the UK, local and rapid response initiatives saved lives as voluntary sector, religious organisations, and Community Champions built on these relations of care to provide mental health advice, sign-posting to services and vaccine uptake. These innovative social projects also helped people to grieve and recover from losses of life and livelihoods. We argue that both short-and long-term investment in these interlinked social infrastructures is crucial for post-Covid recovery in the UK.

re:think - a journal of creative ethnography, Jun 15, 2021

Corona and Work around the Globe, 2020

London School of Economics and Political Science, Jul 14, 2021

Besides 'the economy' and 'health' lies a neglected area of human life during the pandemic: socia... more Besides 'the economy' and 'health' lies a neglected area of human life during the pandemic: social infrastructures. These vital links, sustained by families and communities, now need to be a priority. The LSE COVID and Care Recovery Group call for both urgent and long term help for voluntary and community groups.

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged communities by placing central importance on communities, social networks and households to the economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and c...

LSE Monograph, 2020

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK, conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged groups by placing central importance on the role of communities, social networks and households in economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and communities.

A Right to Care: The Social Foundations of Recovery from Covid-19, 2020

This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19... more This report presents key findings from a 6-month ethnographic study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged households and communities across the UK, conducted by anthropologists from the London School of Economics, and associates. This research involved in-depth interviews and multiple surveys with people across communities in the UK, with particular focus on a number of case studies of intersecting
disadvantage. Crucially, our research has found that Government policy can improve adherence to restrictions and reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged groups by placing central importance on the role of communities, social networks and households in economy and social life. This would be the most effective way to increase public trust and adherence to Covid-19 measures, because it would recognise the suffering that communities have experienced and would build policy on the basis of what is most important to people - the thriving of their families and communities