Audio
Science Social 02: "The Mask—Arrayed"

"The Mask—Arrayed": Unmasking the mask with Carolin Roeder and Marianna Szczygielska

Science Social podcast logoIt 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.

Transcript

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Produced by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science; Theme song by Podington Bear, CC NY-NC 3.0