Gads Hill Center: Revisiting the Function and Cause of Social Settlements in a Time of COVID

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has extended across the globe and has made visible the hyper vulnerability of socially marginalized groups, the inadequacy of public health systems, and the fragility of national and global economic systems. Inflection points, such as the pandemic, often signal that the affected sectors, in this case nation states and their social institutions, regional bodies, and international organizations, must make a fundamental examine and consider the actions needed to strengthen their institutions and footing. In this case study we present how this historical moment has lead a 122 year old American social settlement to reexamine their role and model of practice in an effort to continue to contribute to meaningful changes that diminish human suffering and vulnerability, while advancing the rights and flourishing of the communities of color that they accompany.