Understanding the Meat-Masculinity Link: Traditional and Non-Traditional Masculine Norms Predicting Men’s Meat Consumption.

Abstract

Men are the biggest meat consumers worldwide, placing themselves at greater risk of disease and early death from red and processed meat consumption. Despite these serious health outcomes, men tend to be unwilling to reduce their meat intake. It has been theorised that adherence to masculine norms plays a role in this unwillingness. The current study sought to determine which traditional and non-traditional masculine norms predict men’s meat consumption, intention to eat meat, and willingness to reduce meat consumption. Five hundred and seventy Australian and English self-identified males completed the Meat Consumption and Intention Scale, and three psychometrically validated measures of traditional and non-traditional masculinity. The traditional masculine norms violence, importance of sex, and heterosexual self-presentation positively predicted men’s meat consumption; the non-traditional masculine norm sensitivity to male privilege negatively predicted men’s meat consumption. Toughness, emotional control, and holistic attentiveness were also important predictors of men’s willingness to reduce. Our results suggest that informational campaigns, designed for men, that help challenge and break perceived links between meat consumption and attitudes to violence, sexual virility, heterosexuality, and physical strength may be effective in reducing meat consumption.