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This chapter is a sociologist’s personal reflection. In it, she recognizes that her mother, a woman from rural Puerto Rico with limited formal education, was actually an informed environmentalist. She taught her children the things she learned growing up as one of the older girls among 11 siblings from a poor family. Her mother’s family members knew a great deal about the environment, for example, how to grow healthy, edible and useful plants in or near the home; and, how – for reasons that seemed implicit to her, not to consume too much sugar in the daily diet. The author and her siblings were taught basic environmental principles through their mother’s shopping and meal preparation in the South Bronx and visits to family members in Puerto Rico. She recalls that her mother knew the importance of fresh produce, something the author only learned through formal education, and that she was an amazing cook. Nothing was wasted and everything tasted better than just good.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity and insufficiency in the United States. However, the causes of food insufficiency among people with disabilities during the pandemic are not well understood. This paper examined how loneliness and household structure are associated with food insufficiency among working-age adults (ages 18–64) with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 2021 National Survey on Health and Disability data, we conducted logistic regression to estimate the association between loneliness, household composition, and food insufficiency. Measures of household structure, such as the number of children in the household and living with other adults, were not associated with food insufficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analyses found that loneliness had a strong association with food insufficiency for those who live alone. Respondents who lived alone and reported feeling lonely had the highest odds of being food insufficient during the pandemic. Our findings indicate that in addition to household structure, it is important to assess psychosocial well-being, such as measures of loneliness, when examining food insufficiency among working-age adults with disabilities.

This study investigates the motivation among customers to be more loyal to online food delivery applications (OFDA) services even after the COVID-19 epidemic by using perceived service quality aspects in Sri Lanka. The data were gathered by physically distributing a self-administrated questionnaire to clients in Sri Lanka who continue to use OFDA services on platform to customer (P2C) service delivery platforms to buy food despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple regression is employed to analyse 287 effective observations, and the data revealed the significant positive effect of interaction, environment, outcome, and food qualities on customer loyalty to OFDA services. In fact, there is no impact from the delivery quality on customer loyalty to OFDA services due to outsourced food delivery. The findings suggest regular improvements in attributes such as interaction, environment, outcome, and food qualities in this hyper-competitive business environment. Further, this study sets substantial facts for the interested parties to establish an exemplary delivery system and other technological advancements to have a sustainable competitive advantage and solid customer base in the long run.

This chapter investigates pandemic impact in a variety of industries, including food, travel, education and pharmaceuticals, considering elements such as isolation, emotions and social influences, which can lead to panic buying. The goal of this research is to ascertain how COVID-19 influences the buying decisions of customers. Additionally, the study aims to identify consumer consumption trends for a spectrum of products and services, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), entertainment, pharmaceuticals, travel and tourism. A comprehensive review of different research papers is done to conclude. The papers considered are from 2020 to 2022. Different keywords are used to search the relevant papers such as ‘pandemic’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘behaviour’, ‘impulsive’, etc. TCCM framework has been applied while reviewing the articles. During the isolation, consumer behaviour moved to panic buying and stockpiling, favouring organic basics, and encouraging e-commerce, as well as economic nationalism favouring made-in-India products. This study helps in knowing the reasons for change in consumers' behaviour for different products and services due to unforeseeable situations like COVID-19 and can find possible ways to deal with them. Business owners learn about changing consumer purchasing behaviours and how to modify products. The government can change policies to improve medical tourism and social protection.

This chapter introduces the reader to the process that may be involved in supporting those living in Direct Provision (DP) as refugees and asylum seekers. In the first part of this chapter, I will provide a brief history of DP in Ireland, and introduce the role of International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in the DP system. An overview of DP, how it is structured and some of the legislation and national policy governing its delivery will also be highlighted. Moving on from this, I will explore my personal experience of DP as an International Protection Applicant in Ireland. This will be followed by a description of how my experience was used in providing peer support in the DP Centre. The process of becoming a peer advocate will be considered, as this involved a range of activities, which helped me to support others, within the setting.

This chapter reports a study of education for first generation learners in Maharashtra, India. The research investigated issues of access and the quality of education provided. This was informed by the Capability Approach (Sen, 1993), which was applied to discuss data obtained through this investigation. The study interrogates approaches to promoting education for all; in particular, the methods adopted to meet the needs of first generation learners. Sen's theory when used in an educational setting enables us to look beyond the economic value of education and also beyond education as a human right (Unterhalter & Brighouse, 2007). The main aim of this study was to investigate educational opportunities and the influence of socio-economic factors from the perspectives of children and their parents.

The phenomenon of student mobility in higher education is influenced by several factors, including the infrastructure provided by institutions in different countries as student support services. These student support services play a pivotal role in fostering students’ adaptability within a new environment, thereby significantly impacting their academic performance and social integration. The study focuses on international students in Uganda and investigates how student support services (as part of institutional infrastructure) support students’ adaptability. Based on Leask’s conceptual model of internationalisation, the study reveals that the presence of such services is essential; in addition, the need to provide newly arriving students with orientation is crucial for them to effectively navigate their surroundings. Offices dedicated to international students are also instrumental in facilitating the students’ orientation and settling-in process and they enhance their overall experience. By recognising the significance of both student support services and orientation, education institutions can create a more conducive and supportive environment for international students, ultimately enriching their academic journey and social interactions.