Rethinking Research for Genetically Modified (GM) Food
This paper suggests a rethinking of the existing
research about Genetically Modified (GM) food. Since the first batch
of GM food was commercialised in the UK market, GM food rapidly
received and lost media attention in the UK. Disagreement on GM
food policy between the US and the EU has also drawn scholarly
attention to this issue. Much research has been carried out intending to
understand people-s views about GM food and the shaping of these
views. This paper was based on the data collected in twenty-nine
semi-structured interviews, which were examined through Erving
Goffman-s idea of self-presentation in interactions to suggest that the
existing studies investigating “consumer attitudes" towards GM food
have only considered the “front stage" in the dramaturgic metaphor.
This paper suggests that the ways in which people choose to present
themselves when participating these studies should be taken into
account during the data analysis.
[1] J. Vidal and F. Lawrence, "Britain must launch GM food revolution, says
chief scientist," The Guardian, 2010.
[2] Nerlich, B., Clarke, D. D. & Dingwall, R. (2000) "Clones and Crops: The
Use of Stock Characters and Word Play in Two Debates about
Bioengineering," Metaphor and Symbol, vol.15, pp.223-239.
[3] H. Miller, "How we engineered the food crisis," The Guardian, 2011.
[4] L. Bredahl, "Determinants of consumer attitudes and purchase intentions
with regard to genetically modified foods- results of a cross-national
survey," Journal of Consumer Policy, vol. 24, pp.23-61, 2001.
[5] G. Gaskell, M. W. Bauer, J. Durant and N. C. Allum, "Worlds Apart? The
Reception of Genetically Modified Foods in Europe and the U.S.," Plant
Biotechnology: Food and Feed, vol. 285, pp.384-387, 1999.
[6] G. Gaskell, N. C. Allum, W. Wagner, N. Kronberger and H. Torgersen,
"GM Foods and the Misperception of Risk Perception," Risk Analysis,
vol. 24, pp.185-194, 2004.
[7] G. Gaskell, A. Allansdottir, N. Allum, C. Corchero, C. Fischler, J. Hampel,
J. Jackson, N. Kronberger, N. Mejlgaard and G. Revuelta, "Europeans and
Biotechnology in 2005: Patterns and Trends," Final Report on
Eurobarometer, 2006.
[8] D. Barling, H. de Vriend, J. Cornelese, B. Ekstrand, E. Hecker, J. Howlett,
J. Jensen, T. Lang, S. Mayer and K. Staer, "The social aspects of food
biotechnology: a European view," Environmental Toxicology and
Pharmacology, vol. 7, no.2, pp.85-93, 1999.
[9] M. Costa-Font, J. M. Gil and W. B. Traill, "Consumer acceptance,
valuation of and attitudes towards genetically modified food: Review and
implications for food policy," Food Policy, vol. 33, pp.99-111, 2008.
[10] Y.-L. Lin, Differences between UK and US consumer buying behaviour of
GM food. Guildford, University of Surrey, 2005.
[11] C. Marris, B. Wynne, P. Simmons and S. Weldon, Public Perceptions of
Agricultural Biotechnologies in Europe: Final Report of the PABE
research project. 2001.
[12] J. L. Lusk, "Effects of cheap talk on consumer willingness-to-pay for
golden rice," American Journal of Agricultural Economy, vol. 85, no.4,
pp.840-856, 2003.
[13] J. L. Lusk, M. Moore, L. O. House and B. Morrow, "Influence of brand
name and type of modification on consumer acceptance of genetically
engineered corn chips: a preliminary analysis," International Food and
Agribusiness Management Review, vol. 4, pp.373-383, 2002.
[14] J. L. Lusk and A. Rozan, "Consumer acceptance of biotechnology and the
role of second generation technologies in the USA and Europe," TRENDS
in Biotechnology, vol. 23, no.8, pp.386-387, 2005.
[15] L. A. Marks and N. Kalaitzandonakes, "Mass media communications
about agrobiotechnology," The Journal of Agrobiotechnology
Management and Economics, vol. 4, no.3&4, pp.199-208, 2001.
[16] E. Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: The
Penguin Press, 1959.
[17] B. Wynne, "Seasick on the Third Wave? Subverting the Hegemony of
Propositionalism: Response to Collins & Evans (2002)," Social Studies of
Science, vol. 33, pp.401-417, 2003.
[18] P. Sturgis and N. Allum, "Science in Society: Re-Evaluating the Deficit
Model of Public Attitudes," Public understanding of science, vol. 13, no.1,
pp.55-74, 2004.
[19] Lusk, J. L., House, L. O., Valli, C., Jaeger, S. R., Moore, M., Morrow, J. L.
& Traill, W. B. (2004) "Effect of information about benefits of
biotechnology on consumer acceptance of genetically modified food:
evidence from experimental auctions in the United States, England, and
France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, vol. 31,
pp.179-204.
[20] C. P. Snow, The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.
London:Cambridge University Press, 1959.
[21] R. Sheldon, N. Cleghorn, C. Penfold, A. Brown and T. Newmark,
Exploring attitudes to GM food Final Report. 2009.
[22] M. Hammersley and P. Atkinson, Ethnography: principles in practice.
Oxon:Routledge, 2007.
[23] E. Murphy and R. Dingwall, Qualitative Methods and Health Policy
Research. New York:Aldine de Gruyter, 2003.
[24] D. Burke, "GM food and crops: what went wrong in the UK: Many of the
public's concerns have little to do with science," EMBO reports, 5,
pp.432-436, 2004.
[25] U. Beck, Risk Society: towards a new modernity. London:Sage, 1992.
[1] J. Vidal and F. Lawrence, "Britain must launch GM food revolution, says
chief scientist," The Guardian, 2010.
[2] Nerlich, B., Clarke, D. D. & Dingwall, R. (2000) "Clones and Crops: The
Use of Stock Characters and Word Play in Two Debates about
Bioengineering," Metaphor and Symbol, vol.15, pp.223-239.
[3] H. Miller, "How we engineered the food crisis," The Guardian, 2011.
[4] L. Bredahl, "Determinants of consumer attitudes and purchase intentions
with regard to genetically modified foods- results of a cross-national
survey," Journal of Consumer Policy, vol. 24, pp.23-61, 2001.
[5] G. Gaskell, M. W. Bauer, J. Durant and N. C. Allum, "Worlds Apart? The
Reception of Genetically Modified Foods in Europe and the U.S.," Plant
Biotechnology: Food and Feed, vol. 285, pp.384-387, 1999.
[6] G. Gaskell, N. C. Allum, W. Wagner, N. Kronberger and H. Torgersen,
"GM Foods and the Misperception of Risk Perception," Risk Analysis,
vol. 24, pp.185-194, 2004.
[7] G. Gaskell, A. Allansdottir, N. Allum, C. Corchero, C. Fischler, J. Hampel,
J. Jackson, N. Kronberger, N. Mejlgaard and G. Revuelta, "Europeans and
Biotechnology in 2005: Patterns and Trends," Final Report on
Eurobarometer, 2006.
[8] D. Barling, H. de Vriend, J. Cornelese, B. Ekstrand, E. Hecker, J. Howlett,
J. Jensen, T. Lang, S. Mayer and K. Staer, "The social aspects of food
biotechnology: a European view," Environmental Toxicology and
Pharmacology, vol. 7, no.2, pp.85-93, 1999.
[9] M. Costa-Font, J. M. Gil and W. B. Traill, "Consumer acceptance,
valuation of and attitudes towards genetically modified food: Review and
implications for food policy," Food Policy, vol. 33, pp.99-111, 2008.
[10] Y.-L. Lin, Differences between UK and US consumer buying behaviour of
GM food. Guildford, University of Surrey, 2005.
[11] C. Marris, B. Wynne, P. Simmons and S. Weldon, Public Perceptions of
Agricultural Biotechnologies in Europe: Final Report of the PABE
research project. 2001.
[12] J. L. Lusk, "Effects of cheap talk on consumer willingness-to-pay for
golden rice," American Journal of Agricultural Economy, vol. 85, no.4,
pp.840-856, 2003.
[13] J. L. Lusk, M. Moore, L. O. House and B. Morrow, "Influence of brand
name and type of modification on consumer acceptance of genetically
engineered corn chips: a preliminary analysis," International Food and
Agribusiness Management Review, vol. 4, pp.373-383, 2002.
[14] J. L. Lusk and A. Rozan, "Consumer acceptance of biotechnology and the
role of second generation technologies in the USA and Europe," TRENDS
in Biotechnology, vol. 23, no.8, pp.386-387, 2005.
[15] L. A. Marks and N. Kalaitzandonakes, "Mass media communications
about agrobiotechnology," The Journal of Agrobiotechnology
Management and Economics, vol. 4, no.3&4, pp.199-208, 2001.
[16] E. Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: The
Penguin Press, 1959.
[17] B. Wynne, "Seasick on the Third Wave? Subverting the Hegemony of
Propositionalism: Response to Collins & Evans (2002)," Social Studies of
Science, vol. 33, pp.401-417, 2003.
[18] P. Sturgis and N. Allum, "Science in Society: Re-Evaluating the Deficit
Model of Public Attitudes," Public understanding of science, vol. 13, no.1,
pp.55-74, 2004.
[19] Lusk, J. L., House, L. O., Valli, C., Jaeger, S. R., Moore, M., Morrow, J. L.
& Traill, W. B. (2004) "Effect of information about benefits of
biotechnology on consumer acceptance of genetically modified food:
evidence from experimental auctions in the United States, England, and
France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, vol. 31,
pp.179-204.
[20] C. P. Snow, The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.
London:Cambridge University Press, 1959.
[21] R. Sheldon, N. Cleghorn, C. Penfold, A. Brown and T. Newmark,
Exploring attitudes to GM food Final Report. 2009.
[22] M. Hammersley and P. Atkinson, Ethnography: principles in practice.
Oxon:Routledge, 2007.
[23] E. Murphy and R. Dingwall, Qualitative Methods and Health Policy
Research. New York:Aldine de Gruyter, 2003.
[24] D. Burke, "GM food and crops: what went wrong in the UK: Many of the
public's concerns have little to do with science," EMBO reports, 5,
pp.432-436, 2004.
[25] U. Beck, Risk Society: towards a new modernity. London:Sage, 1992.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:53851", author = "Yin-Ling and Lin", title = "Rethinking Research for Genetically Modified (GM) Food", abstract = "This paper suggests a rethinking of the existing
research about Genetically Modified (GM) food. Since the first batch
of GM food was commercialised in the UK market, GM food rapidly
received and lost media attention in the UK. Disagreement on GM
food policy between the US and the EU has also drawn scholarly
attention to this issue. Much research has been carried out intending to
understand people-s views about GM food and the shaping of these
views. This paper was based on the data collected in twenty-nine
semi-structured interviews, which were examined through Erving
Goffman-s idea of self-presentation in interactions to suggest that the
existing studies investigating “consumer attitudes" towards GM food
have only considered the “front stage" in the dramaturgic metaphor.
This paper suggests that the ways in which people choose to present
themselves when participating these studies should be taken into
account during the data analysis.", keywords = "Boundary work, demarcation of science, GM food,
self-presentation", volume = "6", number = "4", pages = "475-8", }
