Research report
Meat and masculinity among young Chinese, Turkish and Dutch adults in the Netherlands ☆
Highlights
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- This paper addresses barriers for achieving sustainability and health objectives.
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- It focuses on the meat–masculinity link and shows differences between ethnic groups.
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- The Turkish-Dutch are more traditional than the Chinese-Dutch and the native Dutch.
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- The strongest meat–masculinity link was found among the Turkish men.
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- The weakest meat–masculinity link was found among the native Dutch.
Abstract
The
achievement of sustainability and health objectives in Western
countries requires a transition to a less meat-based diet. This article
investigates whether the alleged link between meat consumption and
particular framings of masculinity, which emphasize that ‘real men’ eat
meat, may stand in the way of achieving these objectives. From a
theoretical perspective, it was assumed that the meat–masculinity link
is not invariant but dependent on the cultural context, including
ethnicity. In order to examine the link in different contexts, we
analyzed whether meat-related gender differences varied across ethnic
groups, using samples of young second generation Chinese Dutch, Turkish
Dutch and native Dutch adults (aged 18–35) in the Netherlands. The
Turkish group was the most traditional; it showed the largest gender
differences and the strongest meat–masculinity link. In contrast, the
native group showed the smallest gender differences and the weakest
meat–masculinity link. The findings suggest that the combination of
traditional framings of masculinity and the Western type of food
environment where meat is abundant and cheap is bound to seriously
hamper a transition to a less meat-based diet. In contrast, less
traditional framings of masculinity seem to contribute to more healthy
food preferences with respect to meat. It was concluded that cultural
factors related to gender and ethnic diversity can play harmful and
beneficial roles for achieving sustainability and health objectives.
Keywords
- Meat;
- Masculinity;
- Ethnic groups;
- Sustainability;
- Health
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
