Contextuality of pig welfare - a study comparing public perception in three European countries

Cecilie Agnete H Thorslund, Jesper Lassen, Peter Sandøe

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferencebidrag i proceedingsForskningpeer review

Abstract

Existing research suggests that attitudes to pig welfare are perspectival: they depend on whether the welfare is viewed from the perspective of a politically engaged citizen or from the perspective of a consumer looking at options for the next family meal. Furthermore, this context-dependence may vary with cultural differences. Results from 12 semi-structured focus group interviews, each with 5-8 participants, conducted between November 2013 and February 2014 in Denmark, England and Sweden are reported. The interviews were thematically structured around two contexts, each presumed to have a distinctive system of values: everyday life and production. The results of the interviews demonstrate that it can be meaningful for an individual to perceive pig welfare differently depending on the logic and values of the context. Also, a preliminary analysis of the focus groups indicates that there are significant differences between the three countries, particularly over who is seen as responsible for animal welfare. The English focus groups seemed to favour the idea that animal welfare should be market-driven through consumer-choice. The Danish groups took the general view that animal welfare is also a political issue, and that responsibility for it is shared between parliament and the consumer. The Swedish groups displayed a tendency to assume that parliament is responsible for ensuring welfare.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelKnow your food : food ethics and innovation
RedaktørerDiana Elena Dumitras, Ionel Mugurel Jitea, Stef Aerts
Antal sider6
Vol/bind1
UdgivelsesstedWageningen
ForlagWageningen Academic Publishers
Publikationsdato2015
Sider300-305
ISBN (Trykt)978-90-8686-264-1
ISBN (Elektronisk)978-90-8686-813-1
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2015
Begivenhed12th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics: Know your food! – Food Ethics and Innovation - Cluj-Napoca, Rumænien
Varighed: 28 maj 201530 maj 2015
Konferencens nummer: 12

Konference

Konference12th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics
Nummer12
Land/OmrådeRumænien
ByCluj-Napoca
Periode28/05/201530/05/2015

Citationsformater