Unit:
Specialty Science, Technology, Society-Science and Technology StudiesLibrary of the School of Science
Author:
Karantzavelou Vasiliki
Supervisors info:
Ευστάθιος Αραποστάθης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιστορία και Φιλοσοφία των Επιστημών, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Lay Perception of Food and Toxicity: A Social Representations Approach
Translated title:
Lay Perception of Food and Toxicity: A Social Representations Approach
Summary:
One of the current grand challenges in the EU but also globally involve the consumption of secure and healthy food and the development of social practices that re-conceptualize and redefine the relation between food and wellbeing. In this context, a matter of concern is the issue of toxicities and relevant risks that intervene in the food chain. While STS has focused on the entanglements of toxicities, food and environment, little attention has been placed on social representations of lay people about food. The aim of the thesis is to study the interface between food, environment and health through the lens of the social representation theory, which addresses the constitution of social realities, communication networks and the transformation of scientific concepts into common sense. Eleven focus groups were conducted for research purposes, and they were consisted of lay participants which self-defined in one of the three following categories: patients with chronic illnesses, individuals interested in the environment and individuals interested in fitness and exercising. The discussions were transcribed and analyzed using the software IRAMUTEQ, while discourse and thematic analysis techniques were used to examine the construction of representations about perceived food toxicity, practices related to food consumption, including organic products and superfoods, and notions about the perceptions of healthy body.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
food toxicity, toxicity, risk, perceived risk, lay perception, lay knowledge, health
Number of references:
146
