The food of men? The study reported that people viewed male meat eaters as being more masculine than their vegetarian counterparts
Western men forge a strong link between eating meat and masculinity, according to a new study.
The report, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, said people viewed male meat eaters as being more masculine than non-meat eaters.
In a summary which did not mince its words, the authors said: 'To the strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, All-American male, red meat is a strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, All-American food.
'Soy is not. To eat it, they would have to give up a food they saw as strong and powerful, like themselves, for a food they saw as weak and wimpy.'
The authors, based at four universities across the United States, examined the metaphoric link between meat and men.
In a number of experiments that looked at metaphors and certain foods, like meat and milk, the authors found that people rated meat as more masculine than vegetables.
They also found that meat generated more masculine words when people discussed it, and that people viewed male meat eaters as being more masculine than non-meat eaters.
Most of the studies took place in the United States and Britain, but the authors also analyzed 23 languages that use gendered pronouns. They discovered that across most languages, meat was related to the male gender.
If marketers or health advocates want to counteract such powerful associations, they need to address the metaphors that shape consumer attitudes, the authors explain.
For example, an education campaign that urges people to eat more soy or vegetables would be a tough sell, but reshaping soy burgers to make them resemble beef or giving them grill marks might help cautious men make the transition.
A platter fit for a man: BBQ ribs, 8oz rump steak, 8oz gammon steak, two lamb chops, two pork loin chops, four homemade sausages, two fried eggs - and a little bit of veg...
The authors concluded: 'In marketing, understanding the metaphor a consumer might have for a brand could move the art of positioning toward more of a science.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2145779/Men-like-meat-strong-powerful-wimpy-like-soy-say-study-authors-mince-words.html#ixzz1v9FzdOaF
