Fall Research Expo 2020

COVID-19 in Cobbs Creek

In order to study the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on everyday experience in the historically under-resourced West Philadelphia neighborhood of Cobbs Creek, researchers are using remote qualitative methods. In mid-April at the height of the pandemic, it was unclear how quotidian experiences in underserved communities were being affected by the response to COVID-19 across the nation. Although there have been biological advancements in terms of medicalizing COVID-19, there have been fewer attempts to study community response and human behavior during the pandemic. More specifically, there is some evidence to support lacking responses to the pandemic in underserved American communities. The ensuing research question being investigated is "How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the everyday experience in Cobbs Creek?" The study seeks to identify patterns of experience across a variety of members of the Cobbs Creek (and West Philadelphia) communities. Specifically, three groups of interest were identified by researchers: a.) essential/nonessential business owners b.) healthcare workers or c.) current residents. This study was designed in collaboration with the community outreach/liaison staff at the Sayre Health Center, the management staff of the health center, and the board of the health center. Through remote, semi-structured telephone interviews, researchers have identified emergent patterns such as a newfound reliance upon new support systems, new social stigmas, and inconsistent access to resources such as public transportation and supplies. Researchers have used purely remote recruitment and coordination, revealing new values and limitations in the virtual space. 

PRESENTED BY
Hassenfeld Foundation Grant
College of Arts & Sciences 2023
Advised By
Frances K. Barg, PhD MEd and Kent D.W. Bream, MD
Join Valentina for a virtual discussion
PRESENTED BY
Hassenfeld Foundation Grant
College of Arts & Sciences 2023
Advised By
Frances K. Barg, PhD MEd and Kent D.W. Bream, MD

Comments

This is such an important topic to study right now. I wish your team the best in your continued research! In your intermediary findings, you mention a shift in sources of emotional support. What are the new support systems individuals in Cobbs Creek are turning to right now?