Taking a stand through food choices? : Characteristics of political food consumption and consumers in Finland

This study looks at food as a realm of political consumption by examining buycotting and boycotting of foods for ethical, political or environmental reasons in Finland. The results of an Internet-based survey (N = 1021) showed that around half of the respondents often or occasionally both buycotted and boycotted foods. Multinomial regression models indicated that women, the highly educated, the political left, those who donated for charity, those whose food choices were motivated by domestic origin and ethical food production, and those who trusted that consumption choices, institutional actors and the media can advance ethical food production and consumption, were most likely to be active in buycotting and boycotting. Buycotters/boycotters were very active in buying local food but less eager, for instance, to buy organic or Fair Trade products or to reduce the use of meat or milk. The article concludes by critically assessing the complex relationship between buycotting/boycotting and sustainable practices and suggesting that consumers may be more willing to transform their eating patterns if other societal actors, too, make an effort to influence ethical food consumption.Peer reviewe

Genetics, Negotiated Ethics and the Ambiquities of Moral Choices

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.The present study focuses on the introduction both of genetic screening and testing and of the related counselling in Finnish health care during the 1990s, i.e. clinical genetics. In addition, the formation of medical ethics as it pertains to clinical genetics is analysed from 1970 onwards. The study consists of five original publications and a summary. The material consists of data collected by means of questionnaires (conducted among lay people, public health nurses and midwives), semistructured interviews (of physicians, public health nurses, midwives and psychologists) and text material collected in connection with four genetic screening and counselling projects carried out in Finland. In general, Finns approve of gene tests, but this general approval is combined with disapproval of certain aspects and prospects of such tests. Furthermore, clinical genetics creates agonizing situations where all options have undesirable consequences. Abortion because of a disorder of the fetus is an especially perplexing issue reflecting the ambivalent status of the fetus. Within the field of medicine, problems related to the increasing number of applications of clinical genetics have been addressed to an increasing extent by developing ethical guidelines and recommendations, by establishing ethics committees and by encouraging public discussion on ethics. In the guidelines, voluntariness and autonomy are repeated principles, and they are also widely accepted principles among lay people and professional groups. Choice may even be regarded as an imperative. What is feared is its opposite, concretized in the fear of eugenics. The situation is paradoxical, however, and characteristic of modern societies: On the on hand there are constant demands for more ethical rules - on the other hand these rules cannot but remain superficial, since they have to be open and flexible in the face of new scientific discoveries and individuals' life situations. A contradiction exists between modern ethics setting the rules for advancing genetic technologies and the real-life situations of clients seeking genetic screening and counselling. Individuals are at the same time struggling to form their own choice and influenced by a plethora of expectations, interests, medical determinants and technological conditions.Tutkimuksen aiheena on geeniseulontojen, geenitestien ja näihin liittyvän perinnöllisyysneuvonnan käyttöönotto suomalaisessa terveydenhuollossa 1990-luvulla, ts. kliininen genetiikka. Tutkimuksessa analysoidaan tarkemmin myös genetiikkaan liittyvää lääketieteen etiikkaa vuodesta 1970 vuoteen 2000 sekä sikiötutkimusten ja sikiön vammaisuuden vuoksi tehtyjen abortin, ns. selektiivisten aborttien erityiskysymyksiä. Tutkimus muodostuu viidestä alkuperäisjulkaisusta sekä yhteenvetoartikkelista. Tutkimusaineistot on kerätty kyselylomakkeilla (väestökysely ja kysely kätilöiden ja terveydenhoitajien keskuudessa), haastattelemalla suomalaisten geeniseulonta- ja perinnöllisyysneuvontahankkeiden työntekijöitä (lääkärit, terveydenhoitajat, kätilöt, psykologit) sekä keräämällä näihin hankkeisiin liittyvä tekstiaineisto. Valtaosa suomalaisista, niin tavallisista kansalaisista kuin asiantuntijoistakin, hyväksyy geenitestien käytön, mutta on myös huolissaan testeistä ja seulonnoista sekä näihin liittyvistä tulevaisuudennäkymistä. Erityisesti selektiivinen abortti nähdään vaikeana ja jopa ratkeamattomana kysymyksenä. Tämä heijastalee sikiön asemaan liittyviä ristiriitaisuuksia. Lääketieteen piirissä genetiikkaan liittyviä ongelmia on pyritty ratkaisemaan lisääntyvässä määrin mm. kehittämällä eettisiä suosituksia, perustamalla eettisiä toimikunta ja herättämällä keskustelua etiikasta. Tällaisissa ohjeistoissa testien vapaaehtoisuus ja yksilöiden autonomia ovat tulleet yhä keskeisimmiksi. Tilanne on kuitenkin paradoksaalinen: toisaalta eettisiä sääntöjä toivotaan kehitettävän yhä enemmän, toisaalta ne jäävät pakosta pinnallisiksi, sillä niiden on oltava joustavia suhteessa uusin tieteellisiin keksintöihin ja yksilöiden elämäntilanteisiin. Lopullinen moraalinen vastuu valinnoista ja niiden seurauksista jääkin yksilölle. Valinnanvapautta voikin pitää jopa imperatiivina. Yksilön tekemää valintaa yritetään terveydenhuollossa helpottaa jakamalla hänelle mahdollisimman neutraalia informaatiota sairauksista, testeistä ja vaihtoehdoista. Asetelma ei kuitenkaan tyhjene faktuaaliseen tietoon, vaan yksilölle avautuu loputon sarja kysymyksiä hyvästä elämästä, vammaisuudesta, vanhemmuudesta, vastuusta ja vapaudesta. Vapaan valinnan periaate tiukimmillaan edellyttäisi, että yksilö - esimerkiksi raskaana oleva nainen - yksin punnitsisi moraalista valintaansa suhteessa sikiöönsä. Näin ei kuitenkaan tapahdu: autonomiseen valintaan sekoittuu väistämättä toiveita, sääntöjä, testituloksia ja niiden tulkintoja, kustannus-hyöty laskelmia ja monenlaista informaatiota niin terveydenhuollossa kuin tiedotusvälineissä

Kiistat maitorasvoista ja kasviöljyistä Helsingin sanomissa, 1978 - 2013 : Analyysi riskejä, asiantuntijuutta, todisteita ja nautintoa koskevista konfliketista

The study analysed public debates on the association of milk fats, vegetable oils and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) between 1978 and 2013 in Finland, a country with a decades-long history of public health initiatives targeting fat consumption. The main agendas, conflicts and participants were analysed. The data were collected from the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and consisted of 52 threads and 250 texts. We identified four themes around which there were repeated, often overlapping conflicts: the health risks of saturated fats, expertise of the risks of fat consumption, the adequate evidence of the risks of fat consumption, and framing the fat question. During the research period, the main arguments of the effects of consumption of fats have remained the same. References to epidemiological and intervention studies and framing of the fat question as a public health issue, have been ongoing, as has the definition of what constitutes genuine expertise. Yet, we also found discontinuities. In the early 2000s new emphases began to emerge: personal experiences were increasingly presented as evidence of the effects of dietary choices on human health, and the question of fat consumption was framed either as one of enjoyment or of a consumers’ right to choose rather than only being a public health question. Moreover, new professional groups such as chefs and creative professionals now joined the discussion.The study analysed public debates on the association of milk fats, vegetable oils and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) between 1978 and 2013 in Finland, a country with a decades-long history of public health initiatives targeting fat consumption. The main agendas, conflicts and participants were analysed. The data were collected from the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and consisted of 52 threads and 250 texts. We identified four themes around which there were repeated, often overlapping conflicts: the health risks of saturated fats, expertise of the risks of fat consumption, the adequate evidence of the risks of fat consumption, and framing the fat question. During the research period, the main arguments of the effects of consumption of fats have remained the same. References to epidemiological and intervention studies and framing of the fat question as a public health issue, have been ongoing, as has the definition of what constitutes genuine expertise. Yet, we also found discontinuities. In the early 2000s new emphases began to emerge: personal experiences were increasingly presented as evidence of the effects of dietary choices on human health, and the question of fat consumption was framed either as one of enjoyment or of a consumers’ right to choose rather than only being a public health question. Moreover, new professional groups such as chefs and creative professionals now joined the discussion.Peer reviewe

The good, the bad, and the blameless in parenting : a thematic analysis of discussions of childhood obesity on an internet forum

Background: Childhood obesity is affecting an increasing percentage of families globally. For families, obesity is often a tense issue, not least because of the negative stigma and cultural perceptions associated with it. Discussions around childhood obesity do not take place only at home or in healthcare, but increasingly on social media, such as Internet discussion forums. Our aim was to analyse how childhood obesity is discussed on a Finnish online discussion forum by parents of children with obesity and other commenters. Method: We gathered and analysed 16 discussion threads on childhood obesity taken from a Finnish Internet discussion forum, vauva.fi, between 2015 and 2021 (a total of 331 posts). For the analysis, we chose threads where the parents of a child with obesity took part. The parents’ and other commenters’ discussions were analysed and interpreted with inductive thematic analysis. Results: In the online discussions, childhood obesity was discussed mostly in the context of parenting, parental responsibility and lifestyle choices within the family. We identified three themes that were used to define parenting. In the theme of proving good parenting, parents and commenters listed healthy elements in their family’s lifestyle to show their responsibility and parenting skills. In the theme of blaming bad parents, other commenters pointed out mistakes in the parents’ behaviour or offered them advice. Moreover, many acknowledged that some factors causing childhood obesity were outside the parents’ influence, forming the theme of lifting the blame from parents. In addition, many parents brought up that they were genuinely ignorant of the reasons for their child’s overweight. Conclusions: These results are in line with previous studies suggesting that in Western cultures obesity – including childhood obesity – is typically seen as the individual’s fault and is associated with negative stigma. Consequently, counselling parents in healthcare should be expanded from supporting a healthy lifestyle to strengthening parents’ identity as being good enough parents who are already making many health enhancing efforts. Situating the family in a wider context of the obesogenic environment could ease the parents’ feelings that they have failed at parenting.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Perceptions and Experiences of Sustainability among Producers in the REKO Alternative Food Network in Finland

The modern industrialized food system has faced criticism for several decades. Since the 1990s, vari- ous alternative food networks (AFNs) have attempted to increase the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the food system. A recent innovation in Finland, REKO food rings, was motivated by the desire to enhance the livelihood of farmers and to facilitate a broader change in agricultural practices. It applies contemporary social media tools to organize communication and trade between producers and consumers. The present paper analyses perceptions and experiences of sustainability among REKO producers using thematic interviews and questionnaire data. The results show that the expectations for increased sustainability are high, but the producers nevertheless face multiple challenges to ensure sustainability in their daily practices. Many producers reported having modified their production methods to be more environmentally sustainable already before joining REKO. With regards to economic sustainability, after an enthusiastic start, the positive impacts of REKO have started to diminish. Our findings point to the variations and dynamics of the experiences and perceptions that exist across locations and product segments

The appeal of alternative diets : stories of carbohydrate-conscious eaters regarding motives, credibility of dietary advice and the authority of experiences

Low-carbohydrate diets promote the idea that reducing carbohydrate intake is a key to a healthier life and more natural way to eat. The proponents of these diets form food communities, which share common ideas about food, put forward their own ‘alternative’ expertise and challenge mainstream dietary advice. This study focuses on the perspectives of self-identified followers of low-carbohydrate diets. We explore their rationales for choosing the diet and how they navigate between different sources of dietary information. The data consists of open-ended responses (n=996) to a food survey published in a leading national Finnish newspaper. The responses have been analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. Our results highlight how uncertainties and disappointments can increase the appeal of ‘alternative’ diets and expertise. Low-carbohydrate diets are used as a form of self-care, illness prevention, risk management and weight loss by people with chronic conditions and lingering symptoms. They offer a sense of control, an alternative to medications and bring together communities of like minded people. The stories intertwine with health populist discourses, casting doubt on traditional experts. In a world of complex food systems and conflicting information the diets offer clear explanations. Additionally, the results emphasise the credibility and authority of lived experiences.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Veganism and Plant-Based Eating : Analysis of Interplay Between Discursive Strategies and Lifestyle Political Consumerism

Peer reviewe