In this book, the focus is on five Asian countries/regions (Iran, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan) that show distinct approaches to combating infections. It specifically examines how the recent pandemic arose stigma in the context of history and sociocultural relations, how it is discussed and problematized among locals, and how disparate institutions and individuals mobilized to address it. A global comparative analysis across Greater Asia is presented in this book through the contributions of experts from multiple fields who have researched extensively in each region.

Contents:

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  Introduction

  
  


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  Socio-Religious Dimensions of the Pandemic:

  
  
  
  
  • Culture of Mourning in Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Funeral Rituals, Emotions, and Stigma (Satoshi Abe)
  
  
  • South Korean Society in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Perspective through the Lens of Epidemic Prevention, Social Stigma, and Disgust (Lee Hyunkyung)
  
  
  
  


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  Religious Communities' Responses to the Pandemic:

  
  
  
  
  • 'Abandoned Women' during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study of a Faith-Based Organization for Healing Them during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan (Misako Fukushima)
  
  
  • Biopolitics, Stigma, and Religion in Hong Kong: The Government's Zero-COVID Measures and Responses of Christian Communities (Ka Shing Ng)
  
  
  • Mourning in the Time of COVID-19: Social Stigma or Religious Solidarity during Muharram? (Saeed Rezaei and Saman Jamshidi)
  
  
  
  


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  Potential Social Stigma and Their Mitigation Efforts in Selected Case Studies of Advanced East Asian Economies:

  
  
  
  
  • Neutralizing COVID-19-Induced Social Stigmatization with References to the Singapore Case Study (Tai Wei Lim)
  
  
  • The Stigma of Anti-China Sentiment during the 'Agricultural Boom' Narrative and COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan (Yoshihisa Godo)
  
  
  • Conclusion
  
  
  
  

Readership: Scholars of Asian Studies, Religious Studies, and Public Health. Governments and public health specialists and policymakers. Historians working on epidemiology.

Key Features:

• This book uniquely blends religion and social stigma in the times of COVID-19


• This book is one of its kind in which it brings in COVID-19, religion, social stigma, and use of technology in mitigating infections while continuing with cultural norms


• It talks about how health concerns be inclusive of cultural norms, in this case, the funeral rituals during COVID-19


• It could serve as a guide to public health policymakers to retain communal harmony in society in times of distress