“Real men don’t wear masks”: The relationship between masculinity and face covering

Originally from London, ndrew, 46, has never covered her face during a coronavirus pandemic. He doesn’t even have it. “The science surrounding masks is inconsistent,” he says, claiming that most masks are “ineffective,” despite the fact that they are masked. Scientifically proven To reduce the spread of Covid-19 in many studies. “I agree that vulnerable people may want to take precautions, but that’s their choice,” he said, with false facts and numbers he was waiting for even when argued. I will add it before quoting. What if people question Andrew’s true face in restaurants and public transport where masks are required? “I politely tell them that I am exempt.”

Facial coverage is of paramount importance in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. These have been mandated by public transport in the UK since June 15, but in July a new law extended the rules to stores and other indoor spaces, with the exception of some exemptions for health. The World Health Organization has been encouraging people around the world to wear masks since June, at which point it was already mandatory in some countries, and a scientific review was published in July. Journal of American Medical Association He described the face cover as an “important tool” in the fight against Covid-19.

The review encouraged Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to dubb the face cover, “one of the most powerful weapons that must slow and stop the spread of the virus.” I did. In light of all this, there is an amazing number of people like Andrew who refuse to wear masks. In addition, evidence shows that the majority of these people appear to be male.

In May Investigation Of the 2,459 U.S. scholars conducted by two scholars at Middlesex University in London and the University of California, Berkeley, men are less likely than women to wear face masks in public, as well as wearing them. It turns out that you are likely to agree with. One was “shameful, uncool, and a sign of weakness.” Fox News host Tomi Lahren said that US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said [his] Mask “. A Investigation According to a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a US NGO focused on public health issues, 68% of women wore masks frequently outside the home, compared to 49% of men. These numbers are well documented and some people sayFace condom“.

“This is a trend seen in previous epidemics, and men are more reluctant to adopt safety measures than women,” said Emma Lygnerud Boberg, gender and program development advisor at the Danish International Media Center. I will.That’s consistent with other data, she points out, suggesting that men are less likely to do so than women. Fasten seat belts And See their GP When they are sick.Previous studies also showed that men Likely to drive recklesslyBy either speeding or drunk driving.

Peter Glick, a prejudice and discrimination expert at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, summarizes in harmful gender stereotypes that men praise strength and conditioned them to be afraid of vulnerability. It seems willing to take greater risks. “Men are socialized to be dominant and independent,” he says. Independent.. “All of these features help strengthen the patriarchal norm of presenting masculinity as a performance. For these reasons, we interpret mask wearing as a sign of weakness among some men. It suggests that they are afraid of the virus in a very public way, which in turn punctures brave people. ” Researcher blamed Men’s gender norms to adversely affect men’s health.

President Donald Trump has enthusiastically shown that he does not need a mask after being hospitalized with Covid-19. After returning from the hospital, I took off my mask on the steps of the White House. It was the moment when the 2020 pandemic political drama was completely summarized. Trump propelled his political agenda using the idea that wearing a mask is a sign of weakness. “I don’t wear a mask like him,” the president said of Biden in a debate against him on September 29. “Every time you meet him, he has a mask. He could be talking 200 feet away from them, and he appears with the largest mask I’ve ever seen. Trump seems to be stronger than his opponent by not wearing a mask. The president took this idea even further earlier this week when he tweeted house majority leader Nancy Pelosi “wear a mask at the’cosmet’parlor, Nancy.”

Glick explains that he has a long history of worshiping stereotypical masculinity norms of political rights. “Conservatives appear to be responding to the broader sense of male privilege and dominance erosion in society, and therefore they respect male leaders who embrace male stereotypes. They choose. Male leaders greatly protect their macho image and make them anti-maskers, “he says. Glick’s theory is supported by research. A June Pew Research Center survey reported that 76% of Democratic voters wore masks “always or most of the time in stores and other businesses,” and 53% of Republicans said the same. Stated.

Stereotyped gender norms are exacerbated when combined with conservatism. “Hesitation in wearing a mask is a result of the norms of internalized masculinity,” Boberg adds. “Politically speaking, libertarians on the right have freedom as their core value, but people on the left are investing more in the foundation of care, the protection of vulnerable people. This may explain, politically speaking, why men on the right see wearing masks as a violation of masculinity than men on the left. “

In most cases, those who refuse to wear masks seem to be trying to justify their decision in science, although in most cases false information, rather than simply refusing to obey altogether. “Coronavirus is a mild illness,” says Ewel, 26, from Sheffield. He doesn’t need a mask because he believes the coronavirus poses no threat to him. “There is little or no evidence that the mask works,” says Joe *, 42, from Anglesey, Wales. He is ignoring my request for evidence. “Only 0.06 percent of the population will die of Covid-19,” says Tom * (44) of London. He also did not provide the studies cited in our conversation.

People who do not wear face covers where required are fined £ 100 or more.Most of the latest numbers 400 fines So far, it has been issued to people who refuse to wear masks on public transport in the UK (numbers are not classified by gender). However, the risk of being punished does not prevent people from wearing masks. “I have to give an example [to others] Covid has nothing to fear for the vast majority of people, “says Tim, 18 in London. “I’m less worried about the outlook for fines than the fact that the government has the power to crack down on social decisions such as what we wear,” Ewel adds.

Are these men concerned that refusing to wear masks has helped increase the death toll from Covid-19? “Have anyone ever thought that wearing a mask could have contributed to the increase in cases?” Ewel says. “There are more cases than in March, before the mandatory wearing of masks, but what does it mean to be an effective way to reduce infections?”

All these dangers are obvious.Not just men Highly likely to be infected with coronavirus, But countless studies show that they are likely to do it again Include After being infected with a virus. In Europe, the World Health Organization reports that 70% of all intensive care unit admissions associated with Covid-19 are male, with males accounting for 57% of all deaths.Meanwhile, a study published in March British Medical Journal We also found that the rate of death from Covid-19 was higher in men in China, Iran, and South Korea.In addition, the data collated by Global Health 50/50 Shows that in the majority of other countries, men are consistently dying from the coronavirus at a higher rate than women.

Unfortunately, something doesn’t seem to change anytime soon. This is not the case, especially given the fact that world leaders continue to downplay the virus. Since recovering from Covid-19, Trump has returned to hosting campaign rallies, mostly in maskless crowds. Naturally, he is also maskless. And think of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who described the coronavirus as a “small flu.” “Only b **** es wear face masks,” said Joe Rogan, an American comedian and podcast host. But perhaps the solution is easier than we think.At least it’s one of the recent articles Los Angeles Times Will make us believe. The more “masculine” a face mask is, the more likely it is that men will wear it.