Social Capital and COVID-19: A Multidimensional and multilevel Approach
My article on Social capital and COVID-19: a multidimensional and multilevel approach was published in Chinese Sociological Review (Volume 53, Issue 1) in a special issue focusing on Families, Communities, and Nation States in the COVID-19 Pandemic. The article is available here.
How Social Capital Helps Communities Weather the COVID-19 Storm
Cary Wu’s recent research with Christos Andreas Makridis explores whether differences in social capital across counties can help explain the differences in the severity of the pandemic (May 2020).
How Chinese citizens view their government’s corona virus response?
In the team’s study on how governments within and across countries have been responding to the global pandemic and what might explain the varying responses, China presents an interesting case. Some have worried that its handling of the crisis since the outbreak may have undermined Chinese citizens’ longstanding support for their government. Our research shows that China’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic might have enhanced the legitimacy of its government.



TORONTO, Monday, March 30, 2020 – In the United States, those states that are responding more quickly and effectively to the COVID-19 crisis also seem to have higher levels of social capital built up and citizens who trust more in their governments and health agencies, according to new research published today by York University Assistant Professor of sociology Cary Wu and team.

Do Canadians see COVID-19 as a risk? And how are they adapting their behaviours as a result? We’ve just released the first round of results from our national survey on #COVID19


Cary Wu Joined Social Impacts Network COVID-19 – Expert Advisory Committee

Coronavirus sparks a rising tide of xenophobia worldwide
Researchers studying coronavirus-related attacks urge universities in Europe, North America and Australia to do more to protect Asian students

Experts study how coronavirus pandemic affects trust in officials, ourselves
‘If people do not trust, it’s very difficult to promote collective action’

TORONTO, March 6, 2020 (UPDATED) – Three York University researchers will receive more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 rapid research funding over two years to explore issues of trust, stigmatization and social perceptions of risk, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced today.
Cary’s research will bring frontline researchers from China together with experts in trust and public health in Canada and Sweden to explore people’s trust in government, health agencies, and in other people and groups during a time of crisis. He will look at how their level of trust shapes public responses to COVID-19, such as compliance with control policies and methods of prevention, but also, how disease outbreaks affect those levels of trust and can lead to a rise in xenophobia.
