Lessons learnt during covid-19 lockdown: A qualitative study of south african families
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Date
2021-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
In a pandemic, such as COVID-19, with every single person struggling to deal with the
unknown, it is often within the family that support is found but it is also within the family that
circumstances, contexts and behaviours could further drive the pandemic and where they struggle to
cope. This is novel research in the South African context with no known information regarding family
life during and post the pandemic. This study, therefore, explores the lessons learnt during COVID-19
by South African families. A qualitative approach was employed to guide the gathering and analysis
of the data. Data were collected from a sample of 31 family members above the age of 18 years from
communities of the Western Cape Province and analysed through thematic analysis. According to the
participants interviewed some of the significant lessons learnt from the lockdown include hygiene
and health consciousness, appreciation for family, valuing life, self-introspection, less dependency,
remote working, and financial savings. The realisation of such lessons even post-pandemic has the
potential of strengthening families to be a resource of coping and resilience during very difficult
times at the same time, contributing to greater physical, social, and economic functioning of families
across South Africa.
Description
Keywords
Lockdown, Covid 19, Pandemic, Family health, South Africa
Citation
Donga, G.T.; Roman, N.V.; Adebiyi, B.O.; Omukunyi, B.; Chinyakata, R. Lessons Learnt during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Qualitative Study of South African Families. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 12552. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph182312552