About conducting performative research: 

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Like most others on planet earth, I have been wearing a mask in the public for one-and-half years. Because of this, I have my own experience with face masks. In China, it is not viewed as strange to wear a mask as a daily routine before the pandemic. However, having lost the subjectivity of taking it off, now is compulsory to wear one in the public. I am aware the situation is different in western places like Leuven: most feel uncomfortable seeing others doing so and some people even stare at those who cover their faces. Wearing masks means responsible, fashionable, or suspicious depends on which cultural context people are in. The different experience I have under opposite standard gives me new perspectives when doing the research.

 

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About the subjects are my housemates and friends:

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This small project started from the end of November 2020, when Leuven was still under lockdown, not strict as in summer, but still... So, It was the optimal choice to research my housemates. For one, it saves time to know them first. I got to dive into the research quickly. Also, it allows me to be involved in the field on a daily basis actively. Living under the same roof is a convenience. I know their life well through small talks and observations. They also go out with me sometimes to do grocery. I have the opportunity to study their behavior of wearing masks in the public. It was, at first, a concern for me, that if it is appropriate to observe them in a “creepy” way valued by housemate rules if there are any. But I did not violate anyone’s privacy or reveal their life to the public. And I promised them that they have every right to decide what will be shown in the final result.