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The ‘Myth of Zero-COVID’ Nation: A Digital Ethnography of Expats’ Survival Amid Shanghai Lockdown during the Omicron Variant Outbreak

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin H. Nam

    (School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201613, China)

  • Hans-Jörg Luitgar Weber

    (School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201613, China)

  • Yuanyuan Liu

    (School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201613, China)

  • Alexander Scott English

    (Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China)

Abstract

This study presents a digital ethnography of expats’ survival amid the Shanghai lockdown during the Omicron variant outbreak. This study drew insights from studies on resilience and secondary coping within the context of global migration to comprehend the diverse emotional challenges faced by expats in a series of lockdowns and persistent nucleic acid amplification tests. Thus, this study asks what the major emotional challenges expats faced and what sources of social support they could draw from citizens in their host country during the Shanghai lockdown. Accordingly, this study collected WeChat group conversations to draw empirical findings, promoted scholarly conversations about fundamental survival necessity, and traced the process for establishing intercultural collective resilience with citizens from their host country. Overall, this study emphasized the significance of host country members who can promote certain coping mechanisms for their visitors in the specific regional and geographical context of China.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin H. Nam & Hans-Jörg Luitgar Weber & Yuanyuan Liu & Alexander Scott English, 2022. "The ‘Myth of Zero-COVID’ Nation: A Digital Ethnography of Expats’ Survival Amid Shanghai Lockdown during the Omicron Variant Outbreak," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9047-:d:871340
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lourdes P. Dale & Steven P. Cuffe & Nicola Sambuco & Andrea D. Guastello & Kalie G. Leon & Luciana V. Nunez & Amal Bhullar & Brandon R. Allen & Carol A. Mathews, 2021. "Morally Distressing Experiences, Moral Injury, and Burnout in Florida Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin H. Nam & Alexander S. English, 2022. "Trauma-Informed Care: A Transcendental Phenomenology of the Experiences of International Faculty during the Delta and Omicron Variant Outbreaks in East China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Yingling Fan & Scott Orford & Philip Hubbard, 2023. "Urban public health emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic. Part 2: Infrastructures, urban governance and civil society," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(9), pages 1535-1547, July.

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