LAUSR

“Crisis” is a word that has been used (and possibly abused) a lot in recent years. It may indicate a difficult moment for an individual, a strong feeling of being upset, or a disturbance in a person’s existence. Social crises are different. Across the world, the crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic is inescapable. It strongly upsets us, it disturbs our existence, and unites or divides us in different ways. In the language of economics, especially in classical economics, “crisis” specifically designates a period of economic depression, namely, the phase of a business cycle that is the consequence of generalised overproduction, the basic characteristics of which are a rapid transition from prosperity to depression, a fall in production, widespread unemployment, falling prices, low wages, and falling profits. A well-known example is the general depression of economic activity that began with the Wall Street crash in 1929, which spread to other countries and lasted until the Second World War. Even in the case of the current pandemic, in all countries the emergence of the pandemic has been accompanied by the emergence of an economic crisis. There is a question that has sparked many political discussions and controversies with inextricable ethical implications: Which is more critical in this pandemic era, the health crisis or the economic crisis? In this time of global crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic we, our loved ones, and all people suffered tremendous disruptions, pains, and fears. The physical suffering, the isolation, and the compelling demands to care for others in new ways have been real and deep. While we take time to care for each other, ourselves, and others, as scholars it is also our responsibility in a time of crisis to interpret the changing world and develop appropriate research agendas. We know that crises are not new. Even pandemics are not new. Nevertheless, we are living in a new era. Crisis theorists explain why our crises are becoming more frequent and larger in scale (Topper & Lagadec, 2013). The world is becoming increasingly interconnected due to advanced technologies for the movement of information, people, and goods. This interconnectivity changes the nature of any potential crisis from a chain