Advances in Sociology Research. Volume 33 first looks at the efficacy of a racially defined Black community (Gemeinschaft) in mobilizing participants in the "riots" in English cities in August 2011. Following this, the authors examine the causes behind the crisis in the welfare state, from its establishment to the present day. Additionally, a brief look at the different constitutions of the welfare state on both sides of the Atlantic is provided to assess what kind of welfare state should be modernized in Germany. One study argues that the COVID-19 pandemic ironically benefited the ruling Patriotic Front and opposition parties in campaigning for the August 2021 general elections in Zambia. The authors go on to discuss blame games, socially situated and discursively mediated processes that attempt to assign meaning to harmful events. The logistics of turning the rural community’s challenges into opportunities within their existing social structures and conditions to develop a healthier rural community are evaluated. Lastly, cipo-preto is explored in the context of its symbolic value for social actors, particularly focusing on activities involving its collection, production and the sale of handicrafts.