Few things have proven more contentious amid the coronavirus pandemic than masks. The protective covering has been debated and scrutinized through the lens of politics, religion, governance and — as of this week — masculinity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been recommending that healthy Americans wear masks since April 3, saying that doing so can “protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms.” Models have shown that if 80 percent of people wear them, coronavirus cases — which now top 1.4 million in the U.S. — may plummet.
Still, in a new preliminary study released this week, researchers suggest that men may not only be less likely to wear masks but that some actually view them as a sign of weakness. The research, which is currently being peer-reviewed, may shed light on why public-facing men — especially white men — seem proud to appear in public without them.
Matt Englar-Carlson, the author of several books on masculinity, and director of Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Boys and Men, says masks are the latest iteration of decades of disparities between men and women in preventative health measures. Continue reading on Yahoo!Life.