During this assignment, I could definitely pick up on how wearing a mask was a noticeable indicator for some people. While walking outside in between classes I wore the mask and I noticed looks of confusion from some people who would walk by me and even some who would move over more when they noticed me, almost like it was an indicator that I was ill. when I wore my mask to my appointment with my advisor I immediately noticed a barrier created because I chose to wear a mask. My advisor respected that choice and decided to sit a bit farther away from me during our meeting, but did not make a big deal out of this type of exchange. I expected this type of reaction because of the type of ambiguity masks represent in 2023. While I was with my group, I didn't really notice too much of a difference in my treatment. It was more just a silent acknowledgment that we as a group decided to wear masks together while it was a very uncommon thing to wear masks today, especially in a group where everyone was wearing one. It felt more like people were a little taken aback because of the uncommon scene, but not enough to be a major factor that affected their day.
If I couldn't choose to either wear or not wear a mask (sounds familiar..) I would most definitely be very opposed because of my lack of choice over my body, but with the political and social implications and weight masks held/hold today, I would definitely be okay wearing a mask because of my belief system. This question is very interesting because it forces me to think about my opinions and beliefs, while also thinking about others and how I would want people to adhere to mask mandates, but at the same time still hold the values of free will and choice.
Markers that are used to identify people and monitor them have never been an inherently good thing in society, I feel like the whole idea behind this practice is to single out individuals and give them a level of shame and insecurity about themselves/their group in broader society. Markers also invite people to judge and have preconceived ideas about an individual based on their marker. With a mask specifically, There can be many assumptions made about someone and their political and social beliefs. This goes back to how jarring and divided masks made the general American public feel about government-mandated laws and practices. I feel like because of how much we have gone through as a society, a marking like this would only do harm and very, very little good. If any.
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