GEORGE FROEHLICH
March 26, 2021
Why is wearing a mask during the Covid-19 pandemic so problematic for some? Why is it that wearing masks in public has become such a major political issue in the West (North America and parts of Europe for example)? And why is it that in the East (China, Japan, Viet Nam and Thailand, to name just a few) it is almost a non-issue? Although much has been written on the psychology behind why mask wearing is odious to some, not much has been written about it also being a cultural issue. I believe that it all comes down to different strokes for different folks. So here we go.
East
In Asia wearing masks has been a cultural narrative since 1918. (Young, 2020) It started in Japan as the country dealt with the outbreak of the Spanish flu. Wearing masks was seen as an effective way to prevent the flu from spreading further. And that translated additionally with many Asian countries seeing masks as preventing the spread of communicable diseases. As well many Asian countries, with strong visible pollution levels, saw masks as lessening the impact of pollution on a person’s health. China is the best example of where masks are used to deal with deadly pollution but in crowded cities, like Tokyo Japan, a similar level of use can be seen. So, in many Asian countries wearing masks has changed from being worn as a necessity to being accepted as part of the norm of daily life. Mask wearing is a non-issue for people in the struggle against the pandemic.
West
However, in many countries in the West a different cultural imperative prevails. A principle of rugged individualism persists, the bedrock belief that, “I”, me alone, am the master of my own domain. In the USA, in particular, there is the belief that government and institutions are not to be trusted. Being true to oneself is what counts. The mythology of the rugged Western cowboy, alone on the frontier being true to himself, doing the right thing against all the odds, is deeply embedded among many. So, when the pandemic hit the world, and masks were recommended, it created the perfect storm for the cowboys of the world. And in part they were supported by the messaging surrounding masks, particularly by the arch swaggering individualist, D.J. Trump1. When the pandemic first began, in a slow and steady way, officials advocated wearing masks for health care professionals only. It was thought to be unnecessary for the general population. Later as the science became clearer, that changed and wearing masks was urged for everyone. That change in perspective by health care specialists further enlarged the notion - trust no one but yourself. Among many on the right, the belief, already embedded that all public institutions have a hidden agenda and cannot be trusted, became amplified. On top of this, even a lot of politicians were in step with the cowboy crowd, suggesting that wearing masks was not necessary - a sharp contrast to Asian countries, with their more collectivist cultures, whose leaders were in favour of people wearing masks. We know that the cowboy way has not served the public good well as far as the pandemic is concerned.
All is Not Lost
We know that as the vaccine roll outs proceed this covid pandemic will be beaten. However, it is not yet beaten and there are new, more virulent varieties that are much more contagious. Masks are still important. (Szabo 2021). But will they be seen that way?
All is not lost in the West. In April of last year, the regulatory agency for public health in the US, the CDC, recommended wearing masks. And a Gallup poll discovered that in one week the use of masks worn outside had increased to 62 per cent from 38 per cent in the United States. (CDC Newsroom Releases, 2020) In Canada, according to a poll by the Canadian Association for Public Studies, a non-profit group, mask wearing had increased to 33 per cent from 20 per cent, for a two-week period in April. Some social psychologists say attitudes towards mask wearing is changing dramatically. And all it takes is for about 25 per cent of the population, - early adopters - to get the ball rolling, so others will follow, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania. Catherine Sanderson, a social psychologist of Amherst College, said in a CBC interview: “They become the social influencers, the trendsetters”.
Seeing that the copycat syndrome is, as always, alive in society, let’s hope it will prevail once again; and East will meet West on this crucial issue.
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Resources
CDC Newsroom Releases. (2020) “CDC ‘calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread.” CDC Newsroom. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0714-americans-to-wear-masks.html. July 14.
Public Health Ontario (2020). “Wearing Masks in Public and COVID-19 – What We Know So Far”. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/covid-wwksf/what-we-know-public-masks-apr-7-2020.pdf?la=en. Oct. 14.
Szabo, L. (2021). “5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated”. KHN. https://khn.org/news/article/5-reasons-to-wear-a-mask-even-after-youre-vaccinated/. January 21.
Young, M. (2020). “Face Mask Culture Common in East, New to West.”. VOA. https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/face-mask-culture-common-east-new-west. April 2.
1 Indeed, Trump, though apparently begged by some staff and public health officials to support the wearing of mask was useful practice in, at least, retarding the spread of the pandemic in the US, went out of his way to suggest that mask wearing was not quite “manly” and even mocked Biden during the election campaign for wearing one
East
In Asia wearing masks has been a cultural narrative since 1918. (Young, 2020) It started in Japan as the country dealt with the outbreak of the Spanish flu. Wearing masks was seen as an effective way to prevent the flu from spreading further. And that translated additionally with many Asian countries seeing masks as preventing the spread of communicable diseases. As well many Asian countries, with strong visible pollution levels, saw masks as lessening the impact of pollution on a person’s health. China is the best example of where masks are used to deal with deadly pollution but in crowded cities, like Tokyo Japan, a similar level of use can be seen. So, in many Asian countries wearing masks has changed from being worn as a necessity to being accepted as part of the norm of daily life. Mask wearing is a non-issue for people in the struggle against the pandemic.
West
However, in many countries in the West a different cultural imperative prevails. A principle of rugged individualism persists, the bedrock belief that, “I”, me alone, am the master of my own domain. In the USA, in particular, there is the belief that government and institutions are not to be trusted. Being true to oneself is what counts. The mythology of the rugged Western cowboy, alone on the frontier being true to himself, doing the right thing against all the odds, is deeply embedded among many. So, when the pandemic hit the world, and masks were recommended, it created the perfect storm for the cowboys of the world. And in part they were supported by the messaging surrounding masks, particularly by the arch swaggering individualist, D.J. Trump1. When the pandemic first began, in a slow and steady way, officials advocated wearing masks for health care professionals only. It was thought to be unnecessary for the general population. Later as the science became clearer, that changed and wearing masks was urged for everyone. That change in perspective by health care specialists further enlarged the notion - trust no one but yourself. Among many on the right, the belief, already embedded that all public institutions have a hidden agenda and cannot be trusted, became amplified. On top of this, even a lot of politicians were in step with the cowboy crowd, suggesting that wearing masks was not necessary - a sharp contrast to Asian countries, with their more collectivist cultures, whose leaders were in favour of people wearing masks. We know that the cowboy way has not served the public good well as far as the pandemic is concerned.
All is Not Lost
We know that as the vaccine roll outs proceed this covid pandemic will be beaten. However, it is not yet beaten and there are new, more virulent varieties that are much more contagious. Masks are still important. (Szabo 2021). But will they be seen that way?
All is not lost in the West. In April of last year, the regulatory agency for public health in the US, the CDC, recommended wearing masks. And a Gallup poll discovered that in one week the use of masks worn outside had increased to 62 per cent from 38 per cent in the United States. (CDC Newsroom Releases, 2020) In Canada, according to a poll by the Canadian Association for Public Studies, a non-profit group, mask wearing had increased to 33 per cent from 20 per cent, for a two-week period in April. Some social psychologists say attitudes towards mask wearing is changing dramatically. And all it takes is for about 25 per cent of the population, - early adopters - to get the ball rolling, so others will follow, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania. Catherine Sanderson, a social psychologist of Amherst College, said in a CBC interview: “They become the social influencers, the trendsetters”.
Seeing that the copycat syndrome is, as always, alive in society, let’s hope it will prevail once again; and East will meet West on this crucial issue.
______________________________________________________
Resources
CDC Newsroom Releases. (2020) “CDC ‘calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread.” CDC Newsroom. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0714-americans-to-wear-masks.html. July 14.
Public Health Ontario (2020). “Wearing Masks in Public and COVID-19 – What We Know So Far”. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/covid-wwksf/what-we-know-public-masks-apr-7-2020.pdf?la=en. Oct. 14.
Szabo, L. (2021). “5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated”. KHN. https://khn.org/news/article/5-reasons-to-wear-a-mask-even-after-youre-vaccinated/. January 21.
Young, M. (2020). “Face Mask Culture Common in East, New to West.”. VOA. https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/face-mask-culture-common-east-new-west. April 2.
1 Indeed, Trump, though apparently begged by some staff and public health officials to support the wearing of mask was useful practice in, at least, retarding the spread of the pandemic in the US, went out of his way to suggest that mask wearing was not quite “manly” and even mocked Biden during the election campaign for wearing one
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