Beyond Biosecurity: Face Masks as Merchandise and Status Symbols in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the face mask from a public health ne cessity into a complex sociocultural artefact. This study challenges the notion of the mask solely as a public health tool, exploring its dual role as a commercial product, its unmasking of economic disparities and a symbolic expression of social class and identity. The paper illustrates how the mask became a site of entrepreneurial activity while serving as a status and belonging marker. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology. Specifically, it employed in depth interviews as the primary data collection technique. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with a diverse group of par ticipants, selected through convenient and purposive sampling to ensure a range of perspectives related to face mask consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included individuals from various socioeconomic back grounds. Data from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the matic analysis. Our findings reveal the intricate interplay between economic status, social identity formation and cultural values in shaping mask consump tion and meaning. Significantly, this research contributes to a nuanced under standing of how material objects, such as face masks deployed during a pan demic, can reveal multiple unintended purposes and meanings.