It seems straightforward: we wear a mask because it protects us from pollution, from a contagious virus. Yet the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that this seemingly simple object can also become a powerful symbol—one that can divide or unite us, silence or empower us. So how is it that this small piece of fabric can have political meaning? What role does it play in different cultures around the globe? And what can a mask reveal to us about social inequalities?

In this second episode of "Science Social," scholars Carolin Roeder and Marianna Szczygielska unveil layer by layer the hidden stories of perhaps the most iconic object of the coronavirus pandemic: the face mask.

Learn more about "The Mask - Arrayed": https://themaskarrayed.net/

About Carolin Roeder: https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/users/croeder

About Marianna Szczygielska: https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/users/szczygielska

 

This podcast is produced by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de

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Host: Stephanie Hood

Concept and sound editing by Verena Braun

Theme song by Podington Bear, CC NY-NC 3.0