Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, debate has circled over whether or not the general public should wear face covering to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus with many pointing out that the question of whether or not masks help prevent the spread of illness has become politicized. Thinking about Covid-19 from a social problems perspective answer the following questions.
1. What does it mean when people say ‘debate’ about a given topic has become politicized?
2. If it is true that the masks have become politicized, what do they symbolize (textbook pg 9)? What groups of people object to masks and what groups embrace them and why?
3. What kinds of headlines do you find when you search for the terms ‘face masks and gender’? What does this tell you about masculinity in our society?
4. As a social scientist, what topic related to Covid-19 would you be most interested in studying? What theoretical perspective would you embrace (pg10-16)? What kinds of research methods would you use to answer your question (textbook pg 19-22)? Create a short research proposal using the steps from the textbook.
Articles:
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/21/21331310/mask-masks-trump-covid19-rule-georgia-alabama
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53446827
