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Government responses to COVID-19 have dramatically altered the social quality of daily circumstances. Consequently, theoretical questions about social cohesion require recalibration as we explore new models of social quality. Central to this article is trust, one of the fundamental tenets of social cohesion. We present data from interviews with 40 women in midlife (45-64 years) regarding their everyday experiences of 'life in lockdown' during the pandemic. Key themes focus on women's (dis)trust in individuals (e.g., politicians, public health experts, family, themselves) and systems (e.g., politics, medicine, the media). This study provides insights into the differential impact of the pandemic in shaping public trust and hence social cohesion-in authority, institutions, and 'each other'-with important lessons for how future efforts can rebuild trust in post-pandemic times. Keywords: Australia, COVID-19, midlife women, pandemic, social quality, social cohesion, trust, The purpose of this article is to explore how COVID-19 countermeasures and associated restrictions on 'social life' have altered the nature of trust-in governments, the media, 'experts,' and the wider [...]

Abstract Trust has been identified as an indicator within Social Quality theory. As an important component of social quality, trust has become increasingly important in modern society because literature suggests [...]

Government responses to COVID-19 have dramatically altered the social quality of daily circumstances. Consequently, theoretical questions about social cohesion require recalibration as we explore new models of social quality. Central to this article is trust, one of the fundamental tenets of social cohesion. We present data from interviews with 40 women in midlife (45-64 years) regarding their everyday experiences of "life in lockdown" during the pandemic. Key themes focus on women's (dis)trust in individuals (e.g., politicians, public health experts, family, themselves) and systems (e.g., politics, medicine, the media). This study provides insights into the differential impact of the pandemic in shaping public trust and hence social cohesion--in authority, institutions, and "each other"--with important lessons for how future efforts can rebuild trust in post-pandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It gives us great pleasure to introduce this special issue of the International Journal of Social Quality. This special issue features empirical papers from Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. [...]