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re: Re: European caution

ann and teige,
another basis for the difference might be 'distance from the land' . . . i 
would guess that most people in NA would have to go back several generations 
to find a direct forbearer working the land, whereas for Europeans it would 
only be one or two generations . . . having a close relative working the land 
presumably means that one spends time visiting, perhaps even long vacations, 
and seeing how food is produced . . . perhaps this experience translates into 
an opposition to changes that make food production less human and natural
cheers,
craig


"E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor" <ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca> Wrote: 
| Teige:  you raise an interesting question, and one that I have often  
pondered myself.  Why is it that Europeans appear to be so much more  
sensitive/aware/pro-active in GE issues (and food safety/quality  issues in 
general) than we in North America or elsewhere in the  world?   I should think 
that some clever anthro/psycho/socio  person(s) has thought about/published on 
this issue, and I'd be  interested in getting some guidance on where to look.
|  In my simple mind, I have wondered if it might be related to the % of  
disposable income spent on food.  We in the US and Canada spend the  lowest % 
of DI on food of anyone in the world.  Food is cheap,  readily available, and 
(perhaps?) devalued in our collective minds?   If you are going to spend what, 
25-35% of DI on food (vs. 10-12%  here), perhaps you take greater care in what 
you purchase and eat?   Perhaps you demand a higher standard?  
|  Alternatively, we in NAme have never had the experience of wartime  famine 
(apart from the Civil War), so we take food very much more for  granted than 
do the Europeans.  This may contribute to their greater  awareness of the 
intrinsic value (potential scarcity) of food.
|  Just a few thoughts to add to the collective.  Ann
|  ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
| Dr. E. Ann Clark
| Associate Professor
| Crop Science
| University of Guelph
| Guelph, ON  N1G 2W1
| Phone:  519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
| FAX:  519 763-8933


craig k. harris
dept of sociology    429b berkey hall
michigan state university    east lansing  michigan  48824-1111
tel: 517-355-5048    fax: 517-432-2856