The trend of being vegetarian: A comparative case study of how social norms affect meat-consuming behavior
(2018) STVK02 20181Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis examines the way social norms affect meat-consuming behavior, through using dietary habits as a way of expressing a political identity. A theoretical framework of social psychological theories will explain the connection between social norms and meat-consumption, by conceptualizing identity as a fundamentally social construction, created within the social context. Theories will furthermore explain the process of social learning and conformity, and how meat-reducing dietary choices can be a part of a person’s identity. The theoretical connection will be empirically tested through qualitative interviews with nine informants, consisting of individuals actively reducing their meat-consumption, and those who do not. Findings suggest... (More)
- This thesis examines the way social norms affect meat-consuming behavior, through using dietary habits as a way of expressing a political identity. A theoretical framework of social psychological theories will explain the connection between social norms and meat-consumption, by conceptualizing identity as a fundamentally social construction, created within the social context. Theories will furthermore explain the process of social learning and conformity, and how meat-reducing dietary choices can be a part of a person’s identity. The theoretical connection will be empirically tested through qualitative interviews with nine informants, consisting of individuals actively reducing their meat-consumption, and those who do not. Findings suggest that social norms do play a crucial part in individuals meat-consuming behavior, where those actively reducing their meat-consumption perceives vegetarianism, or other meat-reducing dietary habits, to be more common among their friends, than those who do not. Results furthermore showed that identity is an important factor, where informants confirm that dietary habits with reduced meat-consumption has been an important part of their identity, especially in their adolescence, an identity that has been important to claim in social situations. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- This thesis examines the way social norms affect meat-consuming behavior, through using dietary habits as a way of expressing a political identity. A theoretical framework of social psychological theories will explain the connection between social norms and meat-consumption, by conceptualizing identity as a fundamentally social construction, created within the social context. Theories will furthermore explain the process of social learning and conformity, and how meat-reducing dietary choices can be a part of a person’s identity. The theoretical connection will be empirically tested through qualitative interviews with nine informants, consisting of individuals actively reducing their meat-consumption, and those who do not. Findings suggest... (More)
- This thesis examines the way social norms affect meat-consuming behavior, through using dietary habits as a way of expressing a political identity. A theoretical framework of social psychological theories will explain the connection between social norms and meat-consumption, by conceptualizing identity as a fundamentally social construction, created within the social context. Theories will furthermore explain the process of social learning and conformity, and how meat-reducing dietary choices can be a part of a person’s identity. The theoretical connection will be empirically tested through qualitative interviews with nine informants, consisting of individuals actively reducing their meat-consumption, and those who do not. Findings suggest that social norms do play a crucial part in individuals meat-consuming behavior, where those actively reducing their meat-consumption perceives vegetarianism, or other meat-reducing dietary habits, to be more common among their friends, than those who do not. Results furthermore showed that identity is an important factor, where informants confirm that dietary habits with reduced meat-consumption has been an important part of their identity, especially in their adolescence, an identity that has been important to claim in social situations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8940290
- author
- Gulliksen, Johanna LU
- supervisor
-
- Kurtis Boyer LU
- organization
- course
- STVK02 20181
- year
- 2018
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- vegetarianism, meat-consumption, social norms, identity, conformity
- language
- English
- id
- 8940290
- date added to LUP
- 2018-08-22 15:10:08
- date last changed
- 2018-08-22 15:10:08
@misc{8940290,
abstract = {{This thesis examines the way social norms affect meat-consuming behavior, through using dietary habits as a way of expressing a political identity. A theoretical framework of social psychological theories will explain the connection between social norms and meat-consumption, by conceptualizing identity as a fundamentally social construction, created within the social context. Theories will furthermore explain the process of social learning and conformity, and how meat-reducing dietary choices can be a part of a person’s identity. The theoretical connection will be empirically tested through qualitative interviews with nine informants, consisting of individuals actively reducing their meat-consumption, and those who do not. Findings suggest that social norms do play a crucial part in individuals meat-consuming behavior, where those actively reducing their meat-consumption perceives vegetarianism, or other meat-reducing dietary habits, to be more common among their friends, than those who do not. Results furthermore showed that identity is an important factor, where informants confirm that dietary habits with reduced meat-consumption has been an important part of their identity, especially in their adolescence, an identity that has been important to claim in social situations.}},
author = {{Gulliksen, Johanna}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The trend of being vegetarian: A comparative case study of how social norms affect meat-consuming behavior}},
year = {{2018}},
}