In the years prior to the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March of 2020, it would have been unlikely that anyone could have predicted how divisive the topic of medical masks would become. In retrospect, masks would have seemed harmless, or rather, they would have been universally appreciated for their harm-reduction abilities within medical contexts. That said, in the months following the COVID-19 outbreak it has been nearly impossible to avoid news reports of conflict between proponents of the pro-mask and anti-mask debates thanks to the 24-hour news cycle.
We’ve all heard the stories about masked nurses confronting anti-mask protestors, store clerks being abused by those who refuse to wear masks while shopping, and even the refusal of the former president of the United States to wear masks in direct defiance of public health guidelines. However, a topic that is rarely discussed in the media is how gender norms,specifically regarding stereotypically masculine and feminine traits, have informed the rhetoric surrounding anti-mask arguments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is the aim of this article to illustrate the ways in which the use of gendered language and values related to hypermasculinity hinder the mask promotion efforts of public health.
[Ducey, K. (2020). [Anti-mask protestor with hole in face mask] [Photograph]. Getty Images.https://www.gettyimages.dk/detail/news-photo/man-wearing-a-cutout-mask-gathered-with-hundreds-of-others-news-photo/1210404223?adppopup=true]
Within a North American context, the practice of mask-wearing in a non-medical setting is not normalized as it is in some East Asian countries. Thus, when the practice of masking shifted from optional to mandatory in many public places, there was bound to be resistance to these disruptions to the status quo. Ultimately, those with more progressive values generally adapted well to these changes and took on a pro-mask stance, while those with more conservative leanings tended to side with the anti-mask side of the debate (Marcus, 2020).Where pro-maskers took on harm reduction and collectivist approaches to their arguments,anti-maskers largely claimed mandatory masking was against their rights and freedoms. For these reasons, it may not be surprising that proponents of the anti-mask debate tended to use more gendered language when defending their beliefs on mask-wearing than pro-maskers.
This finding is illustrated in a study by Bhasin et al. (2020) which conducted an analysis of social media messaging from both pro-mask and anti-mask twitter accounts. While they found that supporters of each side used gendered language, anti-maskers did so more often and were more likely to supplement their condemnation of stereotypically negative traits associated with women with praise for traits associated with hypermasculinity (Bhasin et al.,2020). For example, tweets from anti-maskers often used stereotypically female gendered terms such as “controlling”, “hysterical”, “foolish”, and “weak” when referring to those who supported mask-wearing, while those who opposed to this practice were described with traits associated with hypermasculinity such as “strong” and “fearless” (Bhasin et al., 2020). These observations are further compounded by comments from influential figures such as Donald Trump, who stated that Joe Biden was not a “real man” for wearing a mask (Reny, 2020). Comments such as these undermine the efforts of public health harm reduction campaigns by appealing to those who may be concerned about having their masculinity called into question by wearing a mask, or those who may have underlying sexist beliefs.
Further, Reny et al. (2020) found that individuals who held sexist beliefs were less likely to show concern over the pandemic, less likely to support harm reduction policies against the spread of COVID-19, and less likely to wear masks or engage in other protective measures against the virus. Consequently, these populations were also more likely to report having personally contracted COVID-19 (Reny, 2020). These observations indicate that the motivations for proponents of the anti-mask debate may extend beyond the surface-level claims for personal freedoms, and rather find their roots in desires to maintain the social hierarchy in which men are superior to women due to their ability to withstand a bout withCOVID-19. While this stance on masks might be more acceptable if anti-maskers were only putting themselves at risk, the failure of these individuals to wear masks has potentially fatal implications on the most vulnerable populations within our society. For these reasons, public health must devise solutions to overcome the gendered barriers that prevent anti-maskers from responding to the current harm reductions campaigns.
Thus far, pro-maskers and public health campaigns have resorted to shaming techniques in an attempt to convince those who continue to refuse masks to take up the practice. However,these attempts have proven to be largely ineffective, and may in fact worsen the situation by failing to address the reasons why individuals continue to reject masks. Rather, Marcus(2020) suggests that a more effective approach would be acknowledge the concerns presented by those opposed to masks, and work to resolve these issues through creative means. For example, if people refuse to wear masks due to discomfort, public health should collaborate with mask manufacturers to make them as comfortable as possible. If people struggle to afford or often forget to carry masks, they should be made accessible to all people in the most high-risk areas such as high-density housing and enclosed public spaces.
While these actions may help to convert some to the practice of mask-wearing, it may be more difficult to convince those who choose not to wear masks to preserve their masculinity.All the same, public health should avoid shaming techniques and reach out to these populations in order to gain a better understanding of the beliefs of anti-maskers in order to develop a plan to overcome these barriers.
Above all else, the use of gendered language within the anti-mask debate indicates the need for larger social change. Despite the many leaps and bounds which have been made for women’s rights in the last few decades, moments such as these illustrate the ongoing gender inequality and patriarchal power which persists within our society to this day. The use of gendered language by anti-maskers and the hypermasculinity displayed by men in power work to maintain the status quo in which women are perceived as weaker, less intelligent, and less important than men. For this reason, any chance at convincing anti-maskers with sexist views to respond to public health campaigns must address the ways in which gender biases have influenced their perception of masks, and ultimately, all social institutions.
References
Bhasin, T., Butcher, C., Gordon, E., Hallward, M., & LeFebvre, R. (2020). Does Karen weara mask? The gendering of COVID-19 masking rhetoric. International Journal ofSociology and Social Policy. DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2020-0293
Marcus, J. (2020, June 23). The Dudes Who Won’t Wear Masks. The Atlantic.https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/dudes-who-wont-wear-masks/613375/
Reny, T. T. (2020). Masculine norms and infectious disease: The case of covid-19. Politics &Gender, 1-8. DOI: 10.1017/S1743923X20000380