The contexts of mask. On another note to the considerations of Rev. Edward Wojtusiak on the social uniform

Abstract

Forty years ago the Kultura i Społeczeństwo magazine published a sociological essay by Reverend Edward Wojtusiak (1905-1983) on the subject of "social uniform". It contains reflections on the shaping of human social personality, inspired by the views of Józef Chałasiński. The concept of social uniform refers to those concepts perceiving social life as if it were a drama staged in a theater. The leading topic of the essay is a multifaceted presentation of the issues of "mask" in formal and material terms, as a concept used by psychologists, philosophers, sociologists and practitioners to explain various aspects of human expression in social contacts. The views of classics such as Richard Müller-Freienfels, Karl Jaspers, Otto Tumlirz, Ludwig Klages, Paul Guillaume, Ernst Harms and Carl Gustav Jung were used. Referring to the aforementioned theatrical metaphor, we can assume that in the most general approach to the subject, a mask is understood as a sign or a system of signs communicating various aspects of human personality "on the stage of life". Due to the current pandemic situation, the concept of mask, previously functioning mainly as a term of theoretical considerations, has been supplemented with a number of new meanings related to its universality and the necessity to use it in various situations of our everyday life. This includes, among other things, its impact on interpersonal communication and the relationship with the expression of extreme attitudes towards epidemiological threats, manifested by putting on or refusing to wear a mask in public places. The article presents the results of selected psychological studies from 2020-2021 on the impact of wearing masks on reading emotions from facial expressions, and confronts the applicability of classic mask theories in explaining and searching for new research aspects for this content-relevant construct in the field of social sciences. Rich in content the essay by Rev. Edward Wojtusiak seems to be a good starting point for the exploration of the issue, and the upcoming anniversary of its publication prompts us to refer to this text.