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- Title
To Mask or Not to Mask: Epistemic Injustice in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Authors
Hsiang-Yun Chen; Li-an Yu; Linus Ta-Lun Huang
- Abstract
Reluctance to adopt mask-wearing as a preventive measure is widely observed in many Western societies since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemics. This reluctance toward mask adoption, like any other complex social phenomena, will have multiple causes. Plausible explanations have been identified, including political polarization, skepticism about media reports and the authority of public health agencies, and concerns over liberty, amongst others. In this paper, we propose potential explanations hitherto unnoticed, based on the framework of epistemic injustice. We show how testimonial injustice and hermeneutical injustice may be at work to shape the reluctant mask adoption at both the societal and individual levels. We end by suggesting how overcoming these epistemic injustices can benefit the global community in this challenging situation and in the future.
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic; MEDICAL masks; POLARIZATION (Social sciences); SOCIAL facts; WESTERN society
- Publication
Techne: Research in Philosophy & Technology, 2021, Vol 25, Issue 3, p503
- ISSN
0161-7249
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5840/techne20211123149