Rethinking Cross-Cultural Research During COVID-19
By: Allison Joseph
Tags: Herbal Remedies, Vietnam, Human Behavior, Research, Human Centered Design

Rethinking Cross-Cultural Research During COVID-19

by Allison Joseph and Huong Nguyen

ALLY: I had immediate doubts when I learned of the plan for a remote collaboration with Animals Asia and the women in Phung Thoung while sheltering in place. Along with many others, the global impact of COVID-19 had left me emotionally drained and physically uprooted from my home. Perhaps you can relate, as this is not something that is unique to my own life. I believe that this pandemic has resulted in unprecedented changes, novel challenges, and an altered existence for all of us across the globe, some more than others. The changes I was witnessing and personally experiencing initially left me apprehensive and worried about the remote continuation of my work.

Within my own life, I have seen both the commonalities and inequities that exist within the world as individuals attempt to cope with the virus. I have seen the resettled refugees I work with struggle to stay above the poverty line and feed their children. I have seen my elderly dad feel frightened to let me pay him a visit or go outside. I have also seen fellow students abruptly displaced from university accommodations and forced to return to less-than-ideal home life situations. It is critical to acknowledge the numerous inequities that exist as individuals attempt to navigate this new reality. Yet, in one way or another, we have all been touched by this virus, and we are all doing our best to adapt to its haunting presence.

In the following blog post, both myself and Huong, Animals Asia’s research assistant in Vietnam, will share the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted our personal and professional lives. Finally, we will share the ways in which we have navigated the virus as a team, finding support and engaging effectively in cross-cultural research from different ends of the globe.

When did you first learn about the coronavirus? What did you think/feel?

HUONG: The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed my life, making it impossible to go back to the way it was. In April, the government issued Directive 16 to enforce social distancing throughout Vietnam in order to strengthen COVID-19 prevention and to prevent rapid increases in new infection cases. Therefore, I stayed at home to work. Everything was falling apart, my life was turned upside down, I was unable to go out on the street, and stayed inside the house for a month. Since the outbreak, people have limited contact and opportunities to talk to each other, and everyone’s story revolves around the pandemic and how it is going. The stores were closed, and the supermarkets were always packed with shoppers; everyone tried to buy as much as possible to avoid leaving the house often. On the road, everything fell into a dreadful silence — there was nothing but the lonely streetlight. I could not meet my friends or go out with them.

ALLY: To be quite honest, I realized the seriousness of the coronavirus before widespread concern became a dominant perspective within the United States. This is primarily for two reasons: the first being that one of my closest friends, Luyi, is from China, while the second being that my primary care doctor is also from China. At this time, other individuals felt I was being dramatic and overly cautious, dismissing my cautions that the pandemic growing in China could easily cross the Pacific. I can recall feeling self-conscious wearing a mask in the hardware store with Luyi, as people stared and shook their heads at us. I even had a middle-aged man come up to me at the grocery store and tell me, “You should save those masks for people who really need them. Don’t be selfish, you need to donate those.” I also felt frightened and confused, as my doctor sternly told me to wear a mask and to take precautions before it was an accepted topic of discussion among my peers and family. My doctor’s concern stemmed from his knowledge that I am immunocompromised. I felt conflicted and lost, as the nature of the virus remained unknown to health professionals and scientific researchers.

How did your daily routine change as a result of the coronavirus?

HUONG:

Every day, I woke up, ate breakfast, and watched the news; seeing the growing number of cases every day made me feel extremely nervous. After that, I started to sit at my desk for work, then went to lunch, and returned to get the job done. At night, when I saw news on my Facebook page, it would bewilder me. The fake news was presented on every page, and the photos of COVID-19 patients still haunted me during the following days. I went to bed and prayed that the next day, the number of cases would decrease.

ALLY:

Five months into quarantine I am finally establishing a daily routine. Like many other students, I scrambled desperately to find a new place to live. I have moved three times following the close of the Claremont Colleges; I am truly fortunate to be able to afford finding an alternative living situation. Unfortunately, many of my close friends and fellow students were left displaced or forced to return to unhealthy home situations. I have been living in my new home for a month now, slowly trying to find a routine and a sense of rootedness. The one aspect of my life that keeps me the most grounded is serving as the caretaker of a native garden, where I find peace in the Earth and natural world.

What challenges have you faced personally and professionally as a result of the coronavirus?

HUONG: Every day, I spend most of my time on the computer, as I work and attend online seminars. The inability to meet and exchange work with colleagues has significantly impacted my work performance. Furthermore, the Internet can be disconnected at any time, which prevents us from connecting with each other. The travel limitation between localities also prevented us from going down to remote project areas to work with local people. In addition, they did not know how to use online working tools, so communication was interrupted quite often.

In the past, I could spend more time relaxing after days of hard work, but now I focus on working and learning other things to diffuse my worries. Prior to COVID, I received a scholarship to a master’s program in Belgium, but things quickly turned worrisome. While the pandemic is still not over, schools remain closed, and passengers are still cautious to fly to Europe. I have to deal with multiple challenges with not going to school next semester. I am unable to fulfill my dream, which took me two years to achieve and plan. Seeing how much of my effort could disappear at any moment made me completely depressed. However, there has been nothing I can do to change the reality; I felt angry, sad, and powerless at the same time.

Time passed, and as the situation in Vietnam improved, I was able to go back to work. After resigning from my former agency, I learned about the project of the HIVE team and Animals Asia. I thought: This is a good opportunity for me to learn and equip myself with some necessary skills for when I go abroad to work and study. Working on this project also allows me to distract from my negative thoughts and my worries, as the time when I can go to school remains unknown. Since everyone cannot be there in person at first, I also had a lot of difficulties in working due to different time zones, and because I could not communicate directly with other people. There were things that we did not have a chance to discuss together. As things gradually stabilized, the second wave of the pandemic happened in Vietnam, and I could not travel to Phung Thuong to meet local people who are the main subject of this project. We were unable to ask further questions or deliver the main purpose of the project, nor could we correct errors in the answers we received from the questionnaires. The design of the book on herbs was also pushed back, as I was unable to visit there to gather ideas from local people on the design.

ALLY:

When thinking about this question, empty grocery stores and signs limiting the amount of food one can purchase come to mind. I think of the resettled refugee families I work with in the United States, who are having difficulty feeding their families and children following the loss of their jobs. I can recall my initial anxiety, as I drove around dropping off donations of food to various families. Some were unfamiliar with the foods I delivered to them, uncertain how to cook and eat them. I can recall Zooming with many of the families and trying my best to explain the cooking process.

Additionally, the food insecurity that came with the pandemic, as well as the anxiety that surrounded the safety of trips to the grocery store, also resulted in profound challenges for my own well-being and mental health. As someone in recovery from an eating disorder, COVID-19 was my worst nightmare. My most prevalent concerns were a lack of structure, a triggering environment, a lack of social support, and being unable to access food consistent with my meal plan. However, I know that I am not alone, as numerous individuals healing from addictions and caring for their mental health have reported increased challenges and symptoms.

Furthermore, my personal challenges have been complicated by the need to adjust and adapt my approach to completing various research projects and grants. For this project in particular, it was difficult to engage in cross-cultural research and collaboration from behind the computer screen. Due to my own past research in Thailand and Burma, I entered this project with a deep understanding of the inherent benefits that can enhance one’s research when being able to travel and connect in person. I questioned how effective and nuanced our understanding of the women in Phung Thoung would be.

I believe that in some ways my concerns were valid, as I and the Hive team struggled to design for the women and to fully understand their perspectives. Thus, our reliance on Animals Asia and Houng greatly increased, as they were our primary connection to the women in Phung Thoung and to the larger Vietnamese cultural landscape. I felt both unable and uncomfortable designing for women with whom I had never met. I did not want to assume or misinterpret their needs and perspectives. Thus, our partnership and collaboration with Animals Asia was essential to creating an appropriate and culturally sensitive design. Furthermore, the remote nature of our research slowed the progression of the project, as the 14-hour time difference limited meeting times with our partners. The project was further slowed by the cancelling of Health Days in Phung Thuong due to COVID-19.

What meaning/benefits have you been able to find in this experience?

HUONG: During the pandemic, I learned various skills to improve my knowledge and experience. I spent more time learning English, reading books, and developing interest in science and politics. Learning new skills also helped me work more efficiently. The epidemic has increased my sense of responsibility, and I realized that my work could not be delayed because of the pandemic. During this time, although everything was difficult, I always received help and support from my colleagues. I am so lucky to have someone who understands me, so I could get through this extremely difficult time. Instead of getting angry at everything, I have learned to accept and find ways to overcome the challenges, and avoid my emotions affecting my work performance and results.

ALLY: I feel that coping and adjusting to the coronavirus truly challenged me to become increasingly resilient, communicative, and flexible. In my personal life, the novel difficulties presented by the virus have resulted in increased internal strength and awareness of my needs as I continue my recovery. I have developed a deeper sense of self-compassion, as I choose to accept and forgive myself for the difficulties I am experiencing each day. Although COVID-19 severely altered the nature of our original project, I believe that in many ways it empowered us as a team to develop a stronger sense of communication, trust, and creativity. The difficulties presented by the pandemic also resulted in increased honesty, authenticity, and connection between ourselves and our partners in Vietnam.