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Study: Some Men Label Masks 'Uncool'

A face mask is discarded on a sidewalk during the coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles, May 21, 2020.
A face mask is discarded on a sidewalk during the coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles, May 21, 2020.

A recent COVID-19 study suggests men are more reluctant to wear face masks in public.

The study, conducted by researchers Valerio Capraro from Middlesex University London and Hélène Barcelo from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, California, found that American men were more likely to leave the house without a mask, saying wearing one is a sign of "weakness" and "not cool."

"We found that men more than women disagree with the statement, 'Wearing a face covering is cool' and agree with the statements: 'Wearing a face covering is not cool,' 'wearing a face covering is shameful,' 'wearing a face covering is a sign of weakness,' and 'the stigma attached to wearing a face covering is preventing [them] from wearing one as often as [they] should,'" the authors wrote.

"Wearing a face covering is difficult because it requires a substantial change in our habits," the authors wrote in the paper released May 11 by the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science. "The risk that people do not adhere to it is high."

Men wearing face masks walk past a mural in Cape Town, South Africa, May 27, 2020.
Men wearing face masks walk past a mural in Cape Town, South Africa, May 27, 2020.

More than 50 countries have implemented compulsory mask-wearing laws to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Currently, 14 U.S. states require that residents wear cloth masks or face coverings in public places.

In U.S. states that don't require people to wear masks, men less than women intend to cover their mouths and nose, the study's researchers said. But this difference disappears in states where wearing face masks is mandatory.

"Regulations that explicitly punish the violation of the rule are certainly crucial to impose behavioral changes," the authors wrote. However, "it is important to complement explicit governmental laws with implicit behavioral interventions."

Several reports have stated that COVID-19 is striking men harder than women, with research finding that men are more likely to die from the ailment than women. COVID-19 is caused by the coronavirus.

Despite the findings in those reports, "We also find that men less than women believe that they will be seriously affected by the coronavirus, and this partly mediates gender differences in intentions to wear a face covering," Capraro and Barcelo wrote.

Another survey by the Gallup/Knight Foundation, conducted from April 14 to 20, found that 38 percent of men never wore a face mask or cloth face covering outside their homes.

The poll also showed that the perceived effectiveness of face masks varied by age: 37 percent of participants between the ages of 18 and 34 said masks were equally or more effective as hand washing, while 51 percent of participants who were 55 and older said masks were equally or more effective as hand washing.

For some men, reluctance to wearing a mask has a racial component, as well.

"I'm going to be honest here. As a racially ambiguous, over 6ft black dude, I'm afraid wearing a face covering outside could not end well for me. I'm still going to do it, but please don't shoot me or call the cops for no reason. I'm just trying to do my part to save lives," a Twitter user by the handle @politidope posted.

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San Diego school requires course in climate change 

FILE - San Diego firefighters help Humberto Maciel rescue his dog from his flooded home in Merced, California, Jan. 10, 2023.
FILE - San Diego firefighters help Humberto Maciel rescue his dog from his flooded home in Merced, California, Jan. 10, 2023.

If you want an undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, you’re going to have to take a course in climate change.

The requirement, which affects students who will graduate in 2028, is meant to prepare students for the future, according to a report by ABC News. (October 2024)

‘Study away’ programs in the US can provide enrichment opportunities 

FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.
FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.

While studying abroad can expose students to new cultures and experiences, researchers are finding that domestic ‘study away’ programs can be helpful as well.

Some students, including those on an international visa, may not be able to study abroad, but they can travel to other locations in the U.S. for enrichment experiences, Ashley Mowreader writes in Inside Higher Ed. (October 2024)

Fewer students disclose race in applications to top colleges 

FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023
FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023

FAfter the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions last year, fewer students are disclosing their race or ethnicity in applications to top colleges.

Writing in USA Today, Zachary Schermele notes that the data is preliminary, but it could signal a change in the way students are approaching college applications. (October 2024)

Overall college enrollment is up, first-year enrollment down 

FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

For the second year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, college enrollment has climbed in the United States.

But the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center noticed a substantial drop in the number of freshmen, which could be troubling for future enrollment, according to a report in Forbes. (October 2024)

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
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The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.

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