Healthcare Students' Knowledge and Distrust of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories

Introduction: The spread of various conspiracy theories (CT) is one of the causes of the difficulty in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of knowledge and distrust of healthcare students towards CT about COVID-19 and analyze what factors influence it.Methods : This survey research involved 230 health students from higher education institution in Malang. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling techniques. Data collection used a questionnaire which was distributed online. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques, one-way ANOVA test, LSD test, Pearson correlation test, and calculation of the coefficient of determination.Results: A total of 47.83% of students had knowledge scores that were in the good category, while only 7.39% of students had their CT scores in the good category. Length of study, degree program, and institution type have a significant effect on student knowledge, but CT scores were only influenced by institution type. Student knowledge was not significantly correlated to their distrust of CT about COVID-19.Conclusion: The majority of health students still believe CT about COVID-19. Considering the findings, it is necessary to reformulate the curriculum for healthcare education to prepare the next pandemic

Decoloniality, Inclusivity And Autonomy In Reimagining Cities Of The Future

African Union has hope for a vision of an Africa that is thriving by 2063 (UNDP Africa, 2017). Historically Africa was under the gaze and submissive to the imaginings of western vision. Africans as drivers of development prove to be difficult as global coloniality continues to shape inclusivity, autonomy, and spatial activities. Reimagining the future of cities is aligned with the way global coloniality unpacks how modernisation takes place. Decoloniality becomes important in that it gives Africans the space to think about autonomy to plan how can issues of inclusivity be addressed in the context of providing sustainable cities in line with spatial justice. The main drivers of reimagining the cities of the future are environmental sustainability and disruptive technology. Environmental sustainability and technological vision/disruptive technology are very problematic in the African context. In the African context, environmental issues are secondary as social inequalities and political issues are at the forefront of African lived experiences. Technology although present continues to exacerbate the gap between the “haves and the have nots”. This paper critically explores the future of cities concerning decoloniality, inclusivity and autonomy. It highlights key discussions about decoloniality and helps to unpack an African perspective towards reimagining future cities. The purpose of this paper is to bring to the forefront what sustainability means for smart cities in Africa, and if they are ready to take on an autonomous role in defining the future of cities

Evolutionary stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum

There has been little consideration in the science education literature of schools or curricula that advocate creationism. Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is among the world’s largest providers of creationist science materials with a curriculum divided into a system of workbooks which students complete at their own speed. This article examines the ways in which ACE presents particular areas of science that it considers to be contentious, namely evolution and climate change. The ACE curriculum has recently been rewritten, and we show that, like previous editions, the current curriculum relies on rote memorisation to the exclusion of other styles of learning, and that information presented is often misleading or distorted. Religious explanations of natural phenomena are sometimes given in place of scientific ones, and creationist assumptions are inserted into lessons not directly related to evolution or the Big Bang. Those who reject creationism are depicted as making an immoral choice. ACE’s recent curricula also add material denying the role of humans in climate change. It is argued that both the teaching methods and content of the ACE curriculum place students at an educational disadvantage

Conspiracy Theories and Modern Disjuncture Amidst COVID-19 in Indonesia

Amidst the global outbreak of COVID-19 in Indonesia, the government has been under the spotlight for not being able to formulate a proper response. Aside from the malfunctioning bureaucracy, the low compliance among citizens toward public health advice complicates the impact of COVID-19 in Indonesia. One factor that contributes to the attitude of society is the spread of false information and conspiracy theories associated to the virus itself. How do we explain the propagation of conspiracy theories under the threat of COVID-19 in Indonesia? The article argues that the spread of conspiracy theories amidst the pandemic reflects the on-going contestation of political legitimacy between the state and society in Indonesia. To elaborate this point, the article elucidates the three critical junctures that buttressed the propagation of conspiracy theories. First, conspiracy theory was utilized as a foundation of authoritarian regime of Soeharto, and later became an institutionalized tool to maintain its power. Second, the entanglement between democratic ecosystem and proliferation of social media after Reformasi, has enabled society to appropriate conspiracy theories as a form of resistance and skepticism toward government. Third, the tension between state and society in regards to the authority manifested on the contention on COVID-19 management in Indonesia. The government has been trying to maintain the legitimacy by being secretive on COVID-19 information. At the same time, some elements of society responded to the secretive government with propagation conspiracy theories that also justify public disobedience toward health protocols. These combinations have further exacerbated the impact of COVID-19 in Indonesia

Tilting at 5G Towers: Rethinking Infrastructural Transition in 2020

5G has the potential to expand the horizons of digital inclusion by providing higher speeds, lower latency, and support for more devices on a given network. However, mis‐ and disinformation about 5G has proliferated in recent years and stands to be a persistent barrier to the adoption of this generation of wireless technologies. After rumours linking 5G to Covid‐19 emerged in the wake of the pandemic, isolated actors attempted to disrupt infrastructure with a perceived connection to 5G. Media coverage of these incidents inadvertently spread such claims, engendering lasting uncertainty about 5G. Infrastructure scholars have long held to the maxim that “the normally invisible quality of working infrastructure becomes visible when it breaks” (Star, 1999, p. 482), but efforts to interpret the uptake of mis‐ and disinformation have struggled to define the technical difference 5G makes and describe diffused acts of anti‐5G sentiment that exploited its slippery symbolic associations. What broke to make 5G so visible? This article reassesses interference with infrastructure through the lens of a literary metaphor derived from Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel Don Quixote. Using the Don’s famed joust with windmills, I examine what efforts to disrupt the development of 5G in 2020 can tell us about infrastructural transition. With reference to Quixote’s tilt, I contend that the disruptions of 2020 illustrate conflicting imperatives of inclusion and exclusion underlying neoliberal schemes of telecommunication development

Unpacking COVID-19 and conspiracy theories in the UK black community

Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Objectives: Conspiracy theories are associated with significant COVID-19 health consequences including lower engagement with protective behaviours. This study uses sensemaking theory, a process of constructing meanings through interpersonal exchanges that enable people to interpret their world to explain the theoretical process underlying the development of conspiratorial beliefs around COVID-19 within Black African and Caribbean communities in the UK. Design: Qualitative, in-depth interviews were used. Methods: Twenty-eight members of the communities were recruited: semi-structured interviews were analysed using grounded theory. Results: Our findings provide an explanation of how an environment of crisis combined with current and historical mistrust, perceived injustice and inequality provided a context in which alternative conspiracy narratives could thrive. The nature of these conspiratorial beliefs made more sense to many of our respondent's than institutional sources (such as the UK Government). Critically, these alternative beliefs helped respondents shape their decision-making, leading to non-engagement with COVID protective behaviours. Conclusions: We conclude that the uncertainty of the pandemic, combined with historical and contemporary perceived injustice and mistrust, and a lack of specific identity-aligned messaging, created a perfect environment for conspiratorial sense-making to thrive. This alternative sensemaking was inconsistent with the health-protection messaging espoused by the Government. To ensure all groups in society are protected, and for health promotion messages to take purchase, the experiences of different target audiences must be taken into account, with sensemaking anchored in lived experience.NIHR/UKRI. Grant Numbers: NIHR COV0143, UKRI MC_PC_20013

Are COVID-19 conspiracies a threat to public health? Psychological characteristics and health protective behaviours of believers

We tested the link between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and health protective behaviours in three studies: one at the onset of the pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK), a second just before the first national lockdown, and a third during that lockdown (N = 302, 404 and 399). We focused on conspiracy theories that did not deny the existence of COVID-19 and evaluated the extent to which they predicted a range of health protective behaviours, before and after controlling for psychological and sociodemographic characteristics associated with conspiracy theory belief. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs were positively correlated with beliefs in other unrelated conspiracies and a general conspiracy mind-set, and negatively correlated with trust in government and a tendency towards analytical thinking (vs. intuitive thinking). Unexpectedly, COVID-19 conspiracy believers adhered to basic health guidelines and advanced health protective measures as strictly as non-believers. Conspiracy believers were, however, less willing to install the contact-tracing app, get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19, and were more likely to share COVID-19 misinformation – all of which might undermine public health initiatives. Study 3 showed conspiracy theory believers were less willing to undertake health protective behaviours that were outside of their personal control, perceiving these as having a negative balance of risks and benefits. We discuss models explaining conspiracy beliefs and health protective behaviours, and suggest practical recommendations for public health initiatives

Influência e caracterização do movimento antivacinação nas redes sociais em Portugal

Introdução: A resposta à pandemia provocada pelo vírus SARS-CoV-2 e as vacinas desenvolvidas têm encontrado obstáculos criados pela disseminação de notícias falsas e conspirações propagadas pelo movimento antivacinação nas redes sociais. Desta forma, a hesitação vacinal poderá ter contornos nunca antes vistos, em Portugal, até ao momento. Métodos: Este estudo analisa as publicações, comentários e membros do grupo do Facebook “Anti-VAX Portugal” desde 10 de abril a 10 de outubro de 2020, no decorrer da pandemia. Foi também aplicado um inquérito por questionário online, onde se procura compreender a influência que os conteúdos antivacinais tiveram sobre os utilizadores das redes sociais no processo de decisão de vacinação contra a COVID-19. Resultados: A partir da análise deste grupo, compreendendo 347 membros e com motivações distintas, foram identificadas 440 publicações, das quais 48% são teorias da conspiração. A partilha de publicações contra a vacina para a COVID-19 iniciou-se ainda antes da existência efetiva da vacina. No inquérito online aferimos que a influência dos conteúdos antivacinação na rede social Facebook sobre indivíduos indecisos é quatro vezes superior do que se estes não se deparassem com tais conteúdos. No caso daqueles que se mostravam decididos a não se vacinar contra o vírus SARS-CoV-2, mais de metade foram expostos a conteúdos antivacinação. Conclusão: Este movimento é altamente capacitado para influenciar a opinião de outros através de campanhas antivacinação, realizadas antes da criação da vacina para a COVID-19, e as redes sociais são o veículo ideal para a disseminação e a organização de ações fora do espaço digital.Background: The pandemic by SARS-CoV-2 virus and the vaccines developed will face obstacles created by the dissemination of fake news and conspiracies propagated by the anti-vaccination movement on social media. Thus, the vaccine hesitation will have contours never seen before, in Portugal. Methods: This study analyzes the posts, comments, and members of the Facebook group “Anti-VAX Portugal” from April 10th to October 10th, during the pandemic. As well as the development of an online questionnaire survey where we understand the influence that anti-vaccination content has on social media users to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: The analysis of 347 members, with different motivations, culminates in 440 publications where 48% are conspiracy theories. Vaccine sharing for COVID-19 started long before there was one. In the online survey, we verified that the influence of anti-vaccination content on social media, on hesitant individuals, is four times higher than if they had not come across such content. Also, for those who have already decided that they will not be vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, more than half were exposed to the contents of the anti-vaccination movement. Conclusion: This movement is highly capable of influencing the opinion of others through anti-vaccination campaigns, carried out before the creation of the vaccine for COVID-19 and social media is the ideal vehicle for the dissemination and organization of actions outside the digital space