Critiques:

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• First, the research subjects are solely housemates and the landlord of the researcher, which may lead to partial results. To be specific, living in the same place indicates they share similar economic capability and living experience, hence represent a small number of people. The research means to find out various mask-wearing experiences, yet the range of subjects seems inadequate to reach the goal.

• Secondly, cited pieces of literature about masks and embodied experience are mostly from Chinese scholars. But meanwhile, the fieldwork is conducted in Leuven, a western city. The former’s research subjects were Chinese people, with disparate mask-wearing culture and history, medical policy, and ideology on the pandemic. Yet no explanation on the logical relation between the result from China and its application in Leuven is presented.

• Finally, the research neglects the perspective of face masks. Through discussing the life trajectory of masks, people’s experiences will be better revealed and understood. Especially considering masks were always in the medical market in the west, but now are moved to grocery and even fashion market, it would be helpful to inspire practical advice provided to mask companies to innovate and improve the masks, regarding product design, market strategy, and user experience.

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Defence:

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• First of all, even though the four interviewees are my acquaintances who live together, their majors, ages, and grades are different. Also, they live in different sizes of rooms, so the rent varies. As for the landlord, he is a middle-aged software engineer, living outside of Leuven. In general, they have different living experiences and economic backgrounds. Plus, under the circumstance of the pandemic, they were the optimal choice. Because I have spent several months with them, which made them the ideal fieldwork subject.

• Secondly, due to SARS happened in China in 2002 and the following mask-wearing trend and culture, Chinese scholars have produced works related to mask and body experience. The western countries were not influenced much by this or other large-scale respiratory infectious diseases, hence the domain remains being overlooked. Despite different geographical and cultural factors, the opinions I quoted are applicable to western society. For example, based on Mary Douglas’s opinion that holes on the body are the entrance and exit of the social unit. He states that people who choose to wear face masks means leaning to taboo, through which power and political relations are embodied (Wang 2020, 98).

• Thirdly, I admit the importance of the object’s perspective and believe arguments like commodity identity by Appadurai will shed light on the research. Yet it seems needless and chaotic to add it on top of human being’s perspective. Comprehensive as it is, new viewpoints are less necessary to be discussed in every scenario.

 

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Bibliography

Wang, Hongtao. “Mask Metaphor: Gift Reciprocity and Body Boundary from the Perspective of Anthropology.”

            Journal of North Minzu University 4 (2020): 95-100.