ENDURE: Inequalities, Community Resilience and New Governance Modalities in a Post-Pandemic World
Lead Research Organisation:
Glasgow Caledonian University
Department Name: Law and Social Sciences
Abstract
We study the medium and long-term societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, not only to understand what happened, but to ensure an "equitable, resilient and sustainable future" in line with the UN Research Roadmap for COVID recovery. Specifically, by bringing together an interdisciplinary team based in some of the countries that were hardest hit by the pandemic, we address the following:
1- Equity
Through in-depth micro-level research, the project directly examines why some populations were affected more adversely than others due to the pandemic by virtue of factors such as socioeconomic status, age, ethnic background and cultural practices. The aim of the research is to:
* understand existing inequity and accompanying processes of (de)mobilization during and after the COVID19 crisis. Empirically, we examine how disadvantaged groups (women, minorities, low-skilled workers, indigenous peoples, poorer communities) could or could not mobilize to demand their rights. We are interested in (de-)mobilizations for health equity as well as different types of mobilizations that have emerged in the context of the pandemic during lockdowns and afterward and that reveal alternative ways of expressing public demands.
* to explore the ethical considerations underpinning policy responses. We explore the extent to which policies were adequate in addressing social vulnerabilities and ask how policies may be made more equitable to ensure resilience in the future.
2- Resilience
Through multi-scalar research, we explore how societies can be made inherently resilient to cope with mounting and emerging challenges. We focus on the following dimensions of resilience:
* We use an experimental survey to examine how the pandemic impacted public attitudes towards inequality and the effect of institutional contexts on societal resilience.
* Different disciplines have proposed different understandings of resilience in recent years. Despite the volume of research interest in a host of academic fields, scholars rarely talk across the disciplines. As the ultimate result of ENDURE, we posit that a harmonized paradigm and theory of resilience is required to address the many challenges that global society is currently facing in the context of COVID-19. We seek to take steps toward bridging disciplinary canyons. Building upon dialogue and cross-disciplinary conversations about the ontological, epistemological, and normative aspects of studying resilience across disciplines and fields of research, we want to pull the pieces together to propose a unified, multifaceted and multidisciplinary view of the concept of resilience. We believe such an approach is both propitious and timely.
3- Sustainability
While equity and resilience create the future we want, the sustainability of society can only be achieved through proper governance and a healthy media environment. By studying governance mechanisms and communication through transatlantic partnerships, we develop evidence-informed advice and mechanisms for recovery and political participation processes. We examine:
* governance structures in responding COVID-19 in terms of lockdowns and vaccines and analyze how COVID-19 led to different forms of governance models;
* International cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially regarding the capacity and legitimacy of International Organizations (IOs),
* the extent to which crisis governance measures impacted democracy and freedom and the long-term transformations of society that resulted.
* the extent to which effective, ethical and accurate communication was undertaken by government officials, health professionals, researchers, scientific advisers, and the media.
1- Equity
Through in-depth micro-level research, the project directly examines why some populations were affected more adversely than others due to the pandemic by virtue of factors such as socioeconomic status, age, ethnic background and cultural practices. The aim of the research is to:
* understand existing inequity and accompanying processes of (de)mobilization during and after the COVID19 crisis. Empirically, we examine how disadvantaged groups (women, minorities, low-skilled workers, indigenous peoples, poorer communities) could or could not mobilize to demand their rights. We are interested in (de-)mobilizations for health equity as well as different types of mobilizations that have emerged in the context of the pandemic during lockdowns and afterward and that reveal alternative ways of expressing public demands.
* to explore the ethical considerations underpinning policy responses. We explore the extent to which policies were adequate in addressing social vulnerabilities and ask how policies may be made more equitable to ensure resilience in the future.
2- Resilience
Through multi-scalar research, we explore how societies can be made inherently resilient to cope with mounting and emerging challenges. We focus on the following dimensions of resilience:
* We use an experimental survey to examine how the pandemic impacted public attitudes towards inequality and the effect of institutional contexts on societal resilience.
* Different disciplines have proposed different understandings of resilience in recent years. Despite the volume of research interest in a host of academic fields, scholars rarely talk across the disciplines. As the ultimate result of ENDURE, we posit that a harmonized paradigm and theory of resilience is required to address the many challenges that global society is currently facing in the context of COVID-19. We seek to take steps toward bridging disciplinary canyons. Building upon dialogue and cross-disciplinary conversations about the ontological, epistemological, and normative aspects of studying resilience across disciplines and fields of research, we want to pull the pieces together to propose a unified, multifaceted and multidisciplinary view of the concept of resilience. We believe such an approach is both propitious and timely.
3- Sustainability
While equity and resilience create the future we want, the sustainability of society can only be achieved through proper governance and a healthy media environment. By studying governance mechanisms and communication through transatlantic partnerships, we develop evidence-informed advice and mechanisms for recovery and political participation processes. We examine:
* governance structures in responding COVID-19 in terms of lockdowns and vaccines and analyze how COVID-19 led to different forms of governance models;
* International cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially regarding the capacity and legitimacy of International Organizations (IOs),
* the extent to which crisis governance measures impacted democracy and freedom and the long-term transformations of society that resulted.
* the extent to which effective, ethical and accurate communication was undertaken by government officials, health professionals, researchers, scientific advisers, and the media.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| James Foley (Principal Investigator) | |
| Umut Korkut (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Bužinkic E
(2024)
Crisis Governance, (De)Mobilisation and New Inequalities: The Legacy of COVID-19
in Critical Sociology
Foley J
(2023)
The Antinomies of Insurgency: The Case of the Scottish National Party
in The Political Quarterly
Foley J
(2024)
Organising Irresponsibility: Pandemic Management, State Transformation and the Diversion of Class Politics in Scotland's COVID-19 Response
in Critical Sociology
| Description | While the project is ongoing, and three journal papers are under review (and our edited book is in production), we can present some provisional findings. Note: our project has an international dimension, which does impact on reporting. The outputs from our research have led to a number of important findings and intellectual contributions which have advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of comparative politics, political sociology, and political science. The main achievements of the research include the following findings. By examining state responses across multiple national contexts, our research outputs have identified commonalities and divergences in crisis governance. Our edited collection and forthcoming edited volume show that, while emergency measures often shared structural similarities, variations in policy implementation, social mobilisation, and political culture across Europe shaped their different trajectories of crisis management. These outputs also demonstrated the range of vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities of contemporary European states. This showed the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic served both as a moments of both continuity and rupture in governance structures. Many findings on COVID-19, in the UK and beyond, reflected what we termed the "organisation of irresponsibility", the title of one of our journal papers and of a forthcoming edited book. Notably, we found evidence of this theme in familiar contexts - such as the USA and Brazil - but also in governance communities previously praised for responsible pandemic management, such as devolved Scotland and Finland. Our personal research outputs have focused on the themes of state transformation, the limits of traditional governance and the role of civil society and social movements during crisis periods. In a number of articles and book chapters, we have shown how the pandemic exposed the limitations of conventional top-down governance models in Scotland and the UK and highlighted the challenges of state capacity, policy coordination, and legitimacy during crisis periods. By drawing attention to the extent to which multi-level governance structures were destabilised, we highlighted the tensions that arose between centralised decentralised decision-making - e.g. between Westminster, Holyrood, and local authorities. These findings were picked up by media and were reported on by national press and specialist publications, such as The Herald and Holyrood magazine. Moreover, these findings had 'real-world' impact, as a result of being delivered to to over 200 senior civil servants as part of an ESRC Actionable Insights Seminar. We also carried out extensive empirical research into the role of civil society and social movements during the pandemic. This allowed us to show that these non-state actors played an ambiguous and often complicated role in crisis response, either resisting or adapting to state-led interventions. Their activities varied from compliance to contestation, illustrating how crisis periods reshape political mobilisation, civic participation, and state-society relations. Our roundtable confirmed these insights, and allowed non-state actors to better understand the historical and contemporary context in which they operate. Importantly, we also challenged the 'common sense' view that responses to the pandemic would signal either a a fundamental rupture with neoliberalism or with modes of governance associated with this. Instead, we demonstrated that pandemic responses largely adapted and reconfigured existing governance logics. While some early analyses suggested a shift towards state interventionism, the crisis ultimately reinforced neoliberal modes of governance through targeted, temporary state interventions that maintained existing power structures. We were able to share these insights at keynote presentations for international and national conferences, allowing us to disseminate these findings to an academic audience beyond that of the research consortium. Moreover, we have sought to collaborate with non-project partners to expand the scope and relevance of project-related research. Working with a colleague from another Scottish university, we have drawn connections between crisis governance in Scotland and the unique Scottish political context. Focused upon the theme of depoliticisation, we have shown how Scottish crisis governance often operated through depoliticised mechanisms that deflected responsibility and reduced democratic scrutiny. This we have traced to a longer and more established depoliticising trend in Scottish politics that has fostered a technocratic and pragmatic style of politics which limits political engagement and has reduced the space for contention. |
| Exploitation Route | The forthcoming survey dataset will be publicly available. It can be used by researchers to chart themes of COVID-19 radicalisation and authoritarianism. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | The project is still ongoing, and is international in scope. We have an international impact and dissemination strategy which is ongoing and being led by partners in the USA and Canada. What follows will thus largely centre on our engagement with Scottish/UK governance and civic stakeholders. Our work has informed the way in which themes of post-COVID-19 crisis governance are reported in Scotland. As an illustration, its findings have featured in key Scottish media outlets, either with wide readerships (Herald, the National, the Daily Express) or those which are heavily geared to stakeholder audiences (e.g. Holyrood Magazine). We have addressed wider themes of post-COVID-19 crises in devolved governance for wider audiences and stakeholders. Our conference on the crisis of devolved governance and the UK state attracted 200 participants. It featured a keynote by Professor John Curtice and speakers included several former cabinet ministers, former senior devolved/Westminster Scottish representatives, leading trade union officials, leading equalities campaigners, a newspaper editor as well as senior academics from GCU, SOAS, University of Glasgow, University of Stirling and University of Edinburgh. Our research has important policy implications for decision-makers and politicians responsible for managing future crises. Through our participation in the ESRC's Actionable Insights Seminar, we presented to over 200 policymakers the limitations of top-down crisis governance. By highlighting how this approach can reinforce inequalities and lead to incomplete governance practices, we called for more participatory and accountable crisis response mechanisms. We argued that policymakers at local, national, and international levels can use these findings to design governance frameworks that prioritise democratic legitimacy, social equity, and community engagement-rather than relying solely on emergency powers that marginalise civil society. This includes leveraging secondary associations to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks, while enhancing accountability in decision-making. As governments face ongoing and future crises, such as climate emergencies and economic shocks, this research provides a critical evidence base for developing crisis governance models that are both effective and democratically accountable. Our findings offer crucial insights for different stakeholder groups navigating current and future crises. Our roundtable community resilience lab featured stakeholders drawn from across civic society including leading equalities campaigners, leading trade unionists, representatives from think tanks, a student union official, a just transition officer and a refugee officer. Further impact events and outputs are planned in conjunction with international partners, under the leadership of Canadian and US partners. |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | ESRC Actionable Insights Seminar |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | The Antimonies of Insurgency: The Scottish National Party in Crisis |
| Organisation | University of Stirling |
| Department | Stirling Management School |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are collaborating with a colleague at the University of Stirling to assess the impact of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum on subsequent political developments in Scotland and the UK, particularly in light of crisis events such as Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Our investigation focuses on governance, policy-making and implementation in Scotland since 2014, providing critical insights into evolving state-society relations amidst ongoing crises. The research team have led the production of one publication by drawing upon the expertise of the award holder in Scottish and UK politics, and are actively developing additional academic outputs and dissemination events to broaden the impact of our research. Moreover, the research team has taken on the responsibility of conducting extensive fieldwork in preparation for a second journal article. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partner from the University of Stirling has made significant contributions to our collaboration. They have used their expert knowledge of the workings of the SNP to provide valuable insights into its internal dynamics. Additionally, they have assisted with data analysis and is currently leading the write-up of a second journal article whilst also contributing to the dissemination of our research findings. Finally, their extensive networks have given the research team access to senior party figures which has increased participant recruitment. |
| Impact | Foley, J., Montgomery, T. and Kerr, E. (2023), The Antinomies of Insurgency: The Case of the Scottish National Party. The Political Quarterly, 94: 535-546. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.13314 |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | The Organisation of Irresponsibility? Reassessing COVID-19 in Europe |
| Organisation | Baskent University |
| Country | Turkey |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team are lead editors of an edited volume for Brill Academic Publishers. This re-examines state governance responses in Europe to the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting how, despite their differences, they collectively posed a significant challenge to the norms of statehood established to facilitate neoliberal globalisation. We have contributed one chapter, an introductory essay, and edited the volume. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our research partners have contributed individual chapters. |
| Impact | Our manuscript is being finalised and due for submission in April 2025. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | The Organisation of Irresponsibility? Reassessing COVID-19 in Europe |
| Organisation | Free University of Berlin |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team are lead editors of an edited volume for Brill Academic Publishers. This re-examines state governance responses in Europe to the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting how, despite their differences, they collectively posed a significant challenge to the norms of statehood established to facilitate neoliberal globalisation. We have contributed one chapter, an introductory essay, and edited the volume. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our research partners have contributed individual chapters. |
| Impact | Our manuscript is being finalised and due for submission in April 2025. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | The Organisation of Irresponsibility? Reassessing COVID-19 in Europe |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team are lead editors of an edited volume for Brill Academic Publishers. This re-examines state governance responses in Europe to the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting how, despite their differences, they collectively posed a significant challenge to the norms of statehood established to facilitate neoliberal globalisation. We have contributed one chapter, an introductory essay, and edited the volume. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our research partners have contributed individual chapters. |
| Impact | Our manuscript is being finalised and due for submission in April 2025. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | The Organisation of Irresponsibility? Reassessing COVID-19 in Europe |
| Organisation | University of Helsinki |
| Country | Finland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team are lead editors of an edited volume for Brill Academic Publishers. This re-examines state governance responses in Europe to the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting how, despite their differences, they collectively posed a significant challenge to the norms of statehood established to facilitate neoliberal globalisation. We have contributed one chapter, an introductory essay, and edited the volume. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our research partners have contributed individual chapters. |
| Impact | Our manuscript is being finalised and due for submission in April 2025. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | The Organisation of Irresponsibility? Reassessing COVID-19 in Europe |
| Organisation | University of Wroclaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team are lead editors of an edited volume for Brill Academic Publishers. This re-examines state governance responses in Europe to the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting how, despite their differences, they collectively posed a significant challenge to the norms of statehood established to facilitate neoliberal globalisation. We have contributed one chapter, an introductory essay, and edited the volume. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our research partners have contributed individual chapters. |
| Impact | Our manuscript is being finalised and due for submission in April 2025. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Conference: 2014 - 2024: Scottish Independence and the British State Ten Years On |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Since the 2014 Independence Referendum, Scotland's political landscape has been shaped the interaction between a series of crises (2016 Brexit Referendum and its aftermath; the COVID-19 Pandemic) and the ongoing mobilisation of national identity in electoral politics and civic engagement. This conference examined how national identity has been invoked, contested, and redefined across a range of political, social, and cultural arenas during crisis periods. By bringing together scholars, activists, policymakers, and senior politicians, we explored how national identity functions as both a unifying and polarising force in Scotland's contemporary politics. This event fostered dialogue and understanding between scholars, activists, policymakers, and senior politicians and provided valuable insights that can inform future political strategies, policy-making, and civic engagement efforts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Contribution to national newspaper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The research team were invited to write an opinion piece covering the governance dynamics of the Scottish Government's response to COVID-19. This was commissioned to coincide with the arrival of the UK's Covid-19 Inquiry in Scotland, and evidence session from senior members of the Scottish Government. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24059997.uk-covid-inquiry-scottish-government-kept-appearances/ |
| Description | ENDURE Engagement Focused Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The website was formed after the launch of the international project in 2022. As it develops, the website will host the range of academic outputs; policy papers; and impact/dissemination activities which form part of the 3 year plan. As that plan proceeds, as outlined in the initial proposal, the website will expand and will include a social media presence. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| URL | https://www.endure-project.org/ |
| Description | ENDURE Podcast Series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We have recorded, produced, and released two podcasts to accompany our research outputs and disseminate findings to a wider audience. Featuring invited guests, including a well-renowned economist and ex-MSP, we explored state-society relations in Scotland and the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reviewed the Scottish Government's response to the crisis. These podcasts have attracted significant online engagement, with notable comment and sharing across multiple social media platforms. By translating complex research into accessible discussions, they have sparked meaningful public discourse on crucial political and social issues, broadening the impact of our research beyond academia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://x.com/ConterScot/status/1753441212122481092?s=20 |
| Description | Interview for regional news |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Ewan Kerr was asked to contribute to a news story broadcast on Clyde 1, a regional radio station, to provide expert view on the social and political effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was to mark the 5 years since the pandemic began. This contribution increased public awareness of the social and political effects of the pandemic and helped ensure that the voices of civil society and social movements were included in broader discussions about post-pandemic recovery and resilience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | National coverage of research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Our paper in the Political Quarterly attracted the attention of journalists working for Holyrood Magazine, a fortnightly current affairs and politics publication. As well as senior journalists covering the research, we were also invited to submit an opinion piece summarising our arguments about the future prospects for the SNP. This led to a number of senior politicians and third sector practitioners contacting the research team to request further information. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,scandal-alone-cannot-explain-snp-downturn-as-party-reaches-defini... |
| Description | Network: Social Movement Organising and Activism in Crisis Periods |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The research team have established a network of activists, practitioners and journalists to produce actionable policy recommendations and explore concrete strategies for coalition-building and advocacy in crisis situations while facilitating knowledge exchange and collective learning to enhance strategic responses. We are currently arranging a roundtable event that will foster a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by activists during critical junctures and facilitate knowledge exchange and collective learning among diverse activist groups to enhance strategic responses to present and future crises events. This will be reported in due course. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Roundtable Event & Community Resilience Lab |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Our roundtable aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities facing social movements, trade unions, and community groups during crisis events. With 15 social movements and civil society leaders, we discussed how activists in Scotland navigated challenging times and seized new opportunities during crisis events. Topics included how government and society interact, ways to build solidarity across movements, using social media and digital tools for activism, and effective grassroots organizing. We developed practical policy ideas, shared real-world strategies for building strong alliances, and exchanged insights that can help civil society and social movement actors respond more effectively to crisis events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Stakeholder Expert Panel |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | As part of the ENDURE international impact plan, we have formed a Scotland-based stakeholder expert panel. This includes representatives from civic society groups, including the trade unions; campaigning bodies; and officials involved in multilevel governance, including politicians. The initial aim of this body is to give industry insights that will assist in the research process. Towards year 2 and 3, this panel will also assist in the wider ENDURE impact and dissemination strategy. As outlined in the proposal, this will include Community Resilience Labs, policy briefs and seminars aimed at policymakers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |