Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 M44 / Master of Science

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of which culture influences the food consumption process. More specifically, our research will focus on the consumption process of Swedish consumers, as well as their motivations when buying food products. The overall objective of our research is to analyse the extent of applicability the Swedish model of consumption might possibly have in a country like France with a strong food culture. To conduct our research, a qualitative method was used along with an interpretivist approach. This was in accordance with the overall aim to highlight social and cultural facts by analysing consumer behaviour. Based on the theoretical framework studied in the report, ten in-depth interviews were conducted on Swedish and French students. The findings include good insights and advice that retailers and suppliers in the food industry could use to improve the grocery shopping experience and make it a better fit to the consumers’ expectations. Some limitations could be observed in our research, mainly due to the language barrier, concerning both the research material and the interviews. The results were also influenced by the location of the study and the past experience of the respondents. Further research can be recommended to investigate the effect of food and culture on larger cities and in different locations. Doing so, the findings could give a more representative overview of the food consumption process. The study could also be expanded on different market niches with different age groups allowing comparisons from different generations. Another idea would be to target consumers with varying levels of incomes, in order to see to what extent income influences the food consumption process.

The term ‘consumption experience’ has become ubiquitous in marketing and consumer research circles. In this thesis I question the appropriateness of this canonical term. In its stead I employ the non-dualistic term ‘experiaction’, coined by an ecological psychologist, which points to the functional inseparability of experiencing and actions. I adopt a field-theoretical, phenomenologically-informed, perspective, whilst participating in, analysing, and writing about ten video-recorded research conversations. Likewise I address the various spin-off texts deriving from the initial conversations, such as transcripts and viewing-logs. I show that ‘field’-embedded individuals notice and act on many aspects of their immediate micro-environments, including their own intra-personal goings-on and expressive outputs. Through data analysis I identify five categories of regulable variables that an individual can act on as s/he seeks to regulate his/her sensing, relative to his/her reference value(s). Seen through this cybernetic lens, momentary human being comprises of a cyclical, ongoing process of self-regulation, in which individuals expediently employ and/or modify accessible resources and goings-on, in the service of seeking to actualise their currently-preferred, or expected, states-of-being, and to minimise unwelcome deviations therefrom. This thesis challenges the prevalent notion that when people consume particular products/services these offerings sponsor offering-dedicated experiences - what some people describe as ‘consumption experiences’. The concept of experiaction, in contrast, comprises of an ongoing interaction between a person and his/her micro-environment, in which the individual attends to, and acts on, whichever aspect(s) of his/her 360°-‘inner’-‘outer’-‘field’ become(s) momentarily salient to him/her, within the parameters imposed by his/her currently-sustained reference value(s).

Thesis (MBA) -- Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of the Global Environment Monitoring System / Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme (GEMS/Food) is to assess and inform governments, the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other relevant institutions, as well as the public, on levels and trends of contaminants in food, their contribution to total human exposure, and their significance with regard to public health and trade. The primary objective of this study is to generate a reference list of “most commonly” consumed food items and average intakes of these items in the diet of South Africans, using GEMS/Food specifications. The list is required to be representative of foods eaten by children and adults from all age and ethnic groups in South Africa. The list will serve as a reference for the Department of Health who will undertake analyses of (a) toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, heavy metals and environmental contaminants; (b) naturally occurring toxins; and (c) food additives in the commonly consumed food items, as required by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. A secondary objective of the study is to derive average (mean) weights of South Africans in different age groups in order for the calculation of dietary exposure of selected contaminants. Secondary data-analysis was conducted on existing dietary databases (raw data) obtained from surveys undertaken in South Africa between 1983 and 2000. The National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) served as a framework for compiling data on children since this was a national representative survey of 1 to 9 year-old children in South Africa. However there has never been a national dietary survey on adults in South Africa. Consequently the data had to be extrapolated from existing isolated surveys on adults. The dietary intake for the groups 1 to 5 years and 6 to 9 years was calculated only from the NFCS, and was not supplemented by other databases. The substantiation for treating age 10+ as a unit (and calling it an adult group), was the finding that average consumption of adolescents (10 – 15 years) did not differ significantly from that of adults when comparing mean energy intakes and mean quantities consumed, of age groups in the studies analysed. Data were analysed in terms of the percentage of the group consuming specific food main groups / subgroups / food items and on average per capita portion size. Factor analyses were done to analyse the inter-relationships among the food consumption patterns of NFCS 6-9 year-olds in 9 provinces, urban and rural separately, and the inter-relationships among food consumption patterns of these children and other children and adults in other independent food consumption studies. Two methods of estimating adult consumption were derived. The results from Method 1 corresponded with results from the NFCS, which was over-sampled for lower socio-economic areas, whereas the results from Method 2 ignored relationships with NFCS data and were based on the ethnic proportions of the population in South Africa. A final list, validated against international data, is included, which provides the per capita consumption per food item, average amount consumed (consumers only), the 97,5th percentile of the consumption figures (consumers only), as well as the corresponding gram per kilogram body weight consumed. These figures represent food items consumed by 3% or more of the South African population, for the following age groups: 1-5 years, 6-9 years and age 10+ (adults). Also, average weights of South Africans for the corresponding age groups are provided, which is calculated similarly to the methods used to calculate dietary intake. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol van die “Global Environment Monitoring System / Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme”, of (GEMS/Food), is om regerings, die “Codex Alimentarius”, ander relevante instellings en die publiek, op hoogte te hou (en selfs te monitor), ten opsigte van vlakke en neigings van kontaminasie in voedsel, die omvang van blootstelling aan die mens, en die beduidendheid hiervan vir openbare gesondheid en handel. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ‘n lys van voedselitems wat meestal deur die Suid- Afrikaanse bevolking geëet word, op te stel. Die lys moet hoeveelhede wat ingeneem word reflekteer, en moet aan die GEMS/Food spesifikasies voldoen. Dit moet verteenwoordigend wees van kos wat kinders en grootmense, van alle ouderdomsgroepe en rassegroepe in Suid- Afrika eet. Hierdie lys sal as verwysing vir die Departement van Gesondheid dien, om sodoende dan die berekenings van (a) toksiese chemikalië, soos plaagbeheermiddels, swaar metale en omgewingsbesoedelingsagente; (b) toksine wat natuurlik voorkom; en (c) voedselaanvullings in kossoorte, soos voorgeskryf deur die “Codex Alimentarius Commission”, te bereken. ‘n Sekondêre doel van hierdie studie is om die gemiddelde gewig van Suid-Afrikaners vir verskillende ouderdomsgroepe te bereken, om gebruik te word vir die berekenings van blootstelling aan geselekteerde toksine en besoedelingsagente. Sekondêre data-analise is op bestaande diëetkundige databasisse (oorspronklike data), wat opnames in Suid-Afrika vir die tydperk 1983 tot 2000 verteenwoordig, uitgevoer. Die Nasionale Voedselverbruikersopname, “National Food Consumption Survey” (NFCS), dien as raamwerk om die verbruik van kinders saam te stel, want hierdie opname was ‘n nasionaalverteenwoordigende opname van kinders van die ouderdom 1-9 jaar in Suid-Afrika. Daar was egter tot nou toe nog nie ‘n nasionaal-verteenwoordigende opname van voedselverbruik vir volwassenes in Suid-Afrika nie. Gevolglik moet hierdie data vanuit geïsoleerde opnames op volwassenes onttrek word. Voedselinname van kinders van ouderdomsgroepe 1-5 jaar en 6-9 jaar is dus bereken deur van die NFCS data gebruik te maak sonder aanvulling van enige ander databasisse. Die motivering om kinders van die ouderdomsgroep 10+ te hanteer in dieselfde groep as volwassenes, was die bevinding dat gemiddelde verbruik van adolessente (10 – 15 jaar) nie beduidend verskil het van die van volwassenes nie, veral as daar na die kilojoule inname en die hoeveelheid (gemeet in gram) inname, gekyk word. Die data van die verskeie opnames is ge-analiseer in terme van die persentasie verbruikers en die per kapita inname per voedselsoort, gegroepeerd en ongegroepeerd. Verbande tussen NFCS 6-9 jaar data in die 9 provinsies, landelike en stedelike gebiede afsonderlik beskou, asook verbande tussen hierdie kinders en kinders en volwassenes in onafhanklike ander opnames is met behulp van faktorontledings vasgestel. Twee metodes waarmee die voedselinnames van volwassenes voorspel kan word, is afgelei. Die resultate van Metode 1 stem met die resultate van die NFCS ooreen, waar die aanname is dat daar in die steekproefneming meer op kinders van laer sosio-ekonomiese areas gekonsentreer is. Metode 2 se resultate is gebaseer op die etniese verspreiding van die rassegroepe in Suid-Afrika, en voedselinnames van die blankes, byvoorbeeld, word meer in ag geneem. Die finale lys van voedselsoorte, wat gevalideer is teenoor ander internasionale studies, sluit die volgende veranderlikes in: die per kapita verbruik van die items, die gemiddelde verbruik per item (deur net die verbruikers van die spesifieke item in ag te neem), die 97,5de persentiel van voedselitems wat bereken is vir die groep wat die voedselitem verbruik, en ook die gram (gebaseer op die 97,5de persentiel verbruikers) per kilogram ligaamsgewig verbruik vir hierdie items. Hierdie syfers is vir voedselitems wat deur 3% of meer van die verbruikers in Suid-Afrika geneem word, en vir die volgende ouderdomsgroepe: 1-5 jaar, 6-9 jaar vir die ouderdom 10+ . Die gemiddelde gewig van Suid-Afrikaners vir die ooreenstemmende ouderdomsgroepe is ook bereken deur van dieselfde tegnieke gebruik te maak as die waarmee die voedselinnames bereken is.

published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

The principal purpose of this essay is to research how the development of needlework education interacts and interconnects with consumption patterns. Iceland has been used as a case for this study but any country would be applicable. The point of departure is the assumption that when a society develops more and more into being a consumer society, the needlework education also will change – in drastic forms. And that tracing a development towards consumerism can be traced in the curricula regarding this specific subject. People’s changing attitude towards spending, wasting, and an extravagant living is an important feature which explains the shift between non-consumer societies to a consumer society. Society’s outlook on these features is best reflected by that policy the institutions society uses to form its citizens’ desirable (consumer) behavior. In understanding the development from a non-consumerist society to a consumer society the study on the Icelandic syllabi for needlework and textile education plays a prominent part. A presentation on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the period of time in question has also been used in order to see the general increase of the standard of living and rise of consumerism in Iceland. Also numbers on trade and unemployment have been enclosed in order to give a more telling picture of the development and the results. The spatial imprint of the development of the Icelandic educational system and the development of syllabi for the textile handicraft subject show that an established consumer society firstly can be found in Iceland somewhere between 1960 and 1977, thus slightly ensuing the most immediate period after the World War II. A society that educates its young ones to darn, mend, and knit with the explicit motive to help deprived homes and states that this is a necessary virtue for future housewives cannot rightly be called a consumer society. It is also worth mentioning that the subject was after this breakthrough also available for boys. Furthermore, this seems to coincide with the so called “haftatímanum”, the restriction era, which lasted from 1930 to 1960. During this time the Icelandic government controlled the market having an especially harsh policy on the import of consumer goods, with product rationing as a result. Both of these two matters - the syllabi for the textile handicraft subject and the haftatímanum - had an anaesthetized impact on the development of the Icelandic consumer society.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe buvo išanalizuota didelių įstiklintų atitvarų plotų įtaka šildymo ir vėsinimo energijos sąnaudoms. Atlikta stiklo paketų, jų terminių savybių bei pasyvių energijos taupymo priemonių taikymo apžvalga. Konkretiems objektams pasirinkti penki energijos poreikių analizės variantai. Nustatyta, kaip energijos poreikius įtakoja didžiausio įstiklinto pastato fasado orientacija pasaulio šalių atžvilgiu, skirtingos stiklo paketų optinės ir šiluminės savybės bei pasyvių energiją taupančių priemonių naudojimas. Išnagrinėta apie septyniasdešimt skaičiavimo variantų. Palyginti skirtingų vėsinimo poreikių skaičiavimo metodikų rezultatai. Atlikta 2009 – 2010 m. šildymo sezono vidutinių išorės oro temperatūrų analizė. Natūrinėmis sąlygomis nustatytas patalpų oro temperatūros ir santykinio drėgnumo kitimas ir palyginta su reglamentuojamomis vertėmis. Nagrinėjamajame objekte atlikta skaičiuojamųjų ir faktinių šilumos suvartojimų, perskaičiuotų į norminius dydžius, palyginamoji analizė. / The Master's degree paper analyses the influence of large glazed areas of heating and cooling energy costs. Carried out the review of glazing, their thermal properties and the passive energy saving measures. The analysis of five options for energy needs of certain objects has been done. Established the affect to energy needs of the largest glazed façade orientation of the world's countries, different glazing optical and thermal properties and passive energy-saving tools. Examined about seventy calculation options. The results of different methods of calculating the cooling needs have been compared. Carried out the average outside air temperature analysis in 2009 - 2010 heating season. At subsistence conditions the indoor air temperature and relative humidity has been identified, and compared with the governing values. The comparative analysis in considered object of estimated and actual consumption of heat, expressed in the normative values, has been done.

Unsustainable meat consumption contributes to climate change. That is why consumers are advised to behave in an environmentally responsible manner and reduce their consumption of meat products. When it comes to willingness to reduce meat consumption, differences between female and male consumers have been identified. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate what motivating factors influence consumers' decision to reduce the consumption of meat products, and what is determined by influence of gender differences. Furthermore, the results of the analysis will help to find if consumers are willing to reduce meat consumption and if there are any similarities or differences between gender and their values towards meat consumption and the reduction of it. In order to get a deeper understanding of gender values towards reduction of meat consumption, a quantitative method and explanative design were applied and data was collected using online focus groups, male and female students from Kristianstad University. The results show that most of the respondents are willing to reduce the consumption of meat. Moreover, there were observed that some of the masculine attributes were more concerned about ethical issue such as animal welfare, meanwhile feminine - health issues and food safety. This thesis has laid a good foundation for possible future research about gender and sustainable meat consumption. Moreover, potentially it might help marketers to adopt their strategies to suit the nutritional needs of the different genders

The first objective of this research was to identify whether Asian-Americans having higher than average levels of income and education represent an appropriate target market for four food product categories. Second, the impact of national origin membership, demographic variables, and level of acculturation on food consumption was determined. In addition, perceptions related to sensory and nutritional factors and the cultural acceptability of the products were identified and interpreted to determine if the variables differed among specific groups of Asian-American consumers.

M.Com. (Business Management) / The residential demand profile for electricity shows that this segment of the market has. a great demand in the morning and early evening. Due to a shortage of generation capacity during these peak consumption periods, different strategies are now needed to persuade customers to use their electricity in the periods when there is not a great demand. One way in which this can be achieved is to give the customers a time differentiated tariff i.e. a time-of-use (TOU) tariff, whereby the customer will pay a high energy rate in the peak periods, and lower energy rates in the off-peak and standard periods. The overall goal of this study was to determine to what extent residential customers would respond to such a tariff The study covered three consumption groups i.e. customers using more than 1500 kWh per month, between 600 and 1000 kWh per month, and between 300 and 600 kWh per month. All the customers taking part in the study were direct Eskom customers. Once the customers had agreed to participate in the study, they had TOU measuring equipment installed in their homes, which measured their consumption according to the time of day it was consumed.