Bling Queen Mask
Bling is in the air, especially as more and more people are choosing to wear facemasks in public places. The CDC recommends the use of cloth face masks for public settings where other measures like social distancing are not possible, or to avoid hand-to-hand contact with others. This can reduce the likelihood of spreading COVID-19 to someone who is not yet symptomatic.
The burghu or batulah is a traditional women’s face covering in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is also known as the al-maghrun, al-niqab, or al-wasusah and is derived from the Persian word batola, which refers to woven fabric covers, screens or partitions. It is traditionally made from percale cotton that looks like leather and is often indigo stained to give it a golden sheen. It is sold in single sheets measuring 1 x 2 meters and is stiffly folded.
Reactance is a key component in a person’s motivation to or not wear a face mask. If it’s possible to decrease reactance, it might help to reduce anti-mask attitudes. To do that, a variety of different persuasion strategies need to be used, including messaging designed to change perceptions about the impact on others.
For example, a story about how some people who initially refused to wear a mask changed their minds could be an effective approach to improve mass communications and persuade more individuals to wear the facemask. Other persuasion strategies include adding postscripts to messages that emphasize the right to choose (e.g., “This is a personal decision that you can make. I hope you will choose to protect yourself and the people around you”).