Exploring mutual aid-based community engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of community group buying in China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Community mutual aid is a form of community engagement involving multiple stakeholders working together to provide both material and emotional support. During the COVID-19 pandemic in China, community group buying (CGB) exhibited distinct features of community mutual aid, reflected in its flexible product supply and spontaneous neighborhood support. However, the mechanisms driving the emergence of such mutual aid practices remain insufficiently explored.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative research design combining ethnographic observation and interpretive case analysis to examine whether, why, and how CGB in China transformed into community mutual aid practices during the lockdown, as well as the outcomes of this transformation. Data were collected primaril

SUBMITTER: Li W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12727898 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature