Master Thesis 'The Meat-Masculinity Link: The Role of Framing between Masculinity and Meat-Eating'
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Course
Master Thesis (EMTH0001)
Institution
Maastricht University (UM)
Master Thesis 'The Meat-Masculinity Link: The Role of Framing between Masculinity and Meat-Eating'.
Thesis is a hybrid, meaning methods are described but are not actually performed (due to COVID-19). Potential results are mentioned.
APA 6 styled. Grade received: 8.
The Meat-Masculinity Link: The Role of Framing between Masculinity and
Meat-Eating
School of Business & Economics
MSc Human Decision Making
Master Thesis
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An average vegetarian diet is healthier for humans and better for the environment than an
average meat-based diet. Yet, a meat-based diet is receiving more popularity as the world is
getting richer. Part of the cause of the increasing amount of meat eaten is the meat-
masculinity link. The meat-masculinity, shaped through evolution, persisted over time
through models of social conformity, self-identity, precarious manhood, and culture. Men do
not eat meat because of a lack of information about how bad it is; they know. Governments
and institutions who wish to steer men into a vegetarian direction ought to try a different
strategy than merely informational campaigns. This thesis provides a framework and
methodology that could be used to explore the role of frames in the link between masculinity
and the intention to eat meat. The current hypothesis that will be addressed is: Will men report
a lower intention to eat meat when they see masculinity paired with vegetarian food than men
who see healthiness paired with vegetarian food?
, 3
Globally, around 80 million animals are slaughtered every year for meat consumption. In
2013, this resulted in a total of 320 million tonnes of meat being produced, four times the
amount of meat that was produced 50 years earlier. The meat industry increases as the world
gets richer, but the distribution of meat consumption around the world depends on culture. An
average American or Australian eats around 100 kilograms of meat each year, which is twenty
times as much compared to the 5 kilograms of meat a person in India eats each year on
average (FAO, 2020).
Meat Consumption: Consequences for Environment and Health
The increasing amount of meat consumption and meat production has its consequences
on the environment. The livestock sector is one of the most significant contributors to
environmental problems. It is one of the causes of land degradation, climate change, air
pollution, water shortage and water pollution and loss of biodiversity (Steinfeld et al., 2006).
70% of the previous forested land in the Amazon is now occupied by pastures and feed crops
for livestock. Over 20% of the world’s pastures and rangelands have already been degraded,
mostly through overgrazing. Additionally, the livestock sector is responsible for over 18% of
CO2 emissions and over 37% of the total methane emissions. This is over 23 times the global
warming potential. Besides land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, the livestock
sector is also responsible for over 8% of the world’s total water use, mainly through the
irrigation of feed crops. It is the largest sectoral source of water pollution, ‘dead’ zones in
coastal areas, degradation of coral reefs, emergence of antibiotic resistance and many others.
The livestock sector also has a direct influence on the amount of biodiversity: livestock now
occupies 30% of the world’s total land mass that was once a habitat for wildlife. The loss of
species is estimated to be running 50 to 100 times higher than the background rates (as
measured by fossil records) (Steinfeld et al., 2006).
Different diets need different amounts of arable land which is necessary to grow crops
on. A vegetarian diet needs about 800 square meters of arable land per capita a year and the
traditional Chinese diet from the late 1990’s (one that is generally low in meat and high in
vegetables) needs 1,100 square meters of arable land per capita. Both diets need much less
arable land than a traditional modern Western diet, which claims about 4,000 square meters of
arable land per capita each year (Smil, 2000).
The world is getting richer and diets change accordingly. From 1991 to 2001, gross
national product (GPD) worldwide grew with an average of 1.4% each year. For Asia, this
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