|  Case Study: "Vegetarian Today: Are you ready to give up meat from Moscow"
The authors of the project: students of the Faculty of International Journalism at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) MFA Russia (MGIMO), Elena Antonova, Balabanova Maya Leibin Natalia MATSELINSKAYA Marina, Marina struevoy, Jackiewicz Anastasia. Coordinator: Professor. POKROVSKY NE (Department of Sociology) The organizer of the project: Eurasian Vegetarian Society (EBO), Moscow, 2002.
INTRODUCTION
We present you a case study whose purpose was to identify the causes and prospects for development of such social phenomena as vegetarianism. The study was conducted in the city of Moscow and was empirical. Based on general theoretical and methodological basis, we decided to divide the population into strata, the capital of several indicators: sex, age, type of occupation, financial status.
Thus identified the following social groups: students, young people aged 18 to 25 years old, mature people of intellectual labor, mature people physical work, productive people who earn more than $ 1,000 per month (the rich), able-bodied people earning below $ 100 per month (the poor), and retirees. As a hypothesis we put forward a suggestion that some Muscovites ready to give up meat, and this readiness is associated with several subjective factors. The study used methods such as open included observation, document analysis and interviews. For the majority of statistical data, we used a written survey form. The questionnaire included both open and closed questions. Overall, 295 respondents were interviewed, and, according to research team members, our sample stratification reflects the real composition of the capital city. During the survey, we found that the questions were prepared by us is quite valid, that gives us reason to believe that these results are representative enough. The most important part of our project was a logical analysis and interpretation of basic concepts - vegetarianism.
Conclusions of the study:
The results of our empirical work are reflected in the graphs and charts that accompany this paper. Let us explain some of the data and summarize the overall results. For a start it is worth noting that we are surprised by the reaction of Muscovites to the offer to become respondents. Many people do not immediately understand what is at stake, the other at once flatly refused to take part in a survey on this topic. On quite skeptical attitude of Muscovites to vegetarianism and show the results obtained by us on one of the questions in the questionnaire: 32% of respondents believe that vegetarians are followers of a religion, 15% think that it just cranks, and 5% believe that the so-called members of the Green Party (sm.grafik number 1).
However, in 37% of respondents have at least one friend a vegetarian (chart number 2) and 66% of the respondents belong to vegetarianism easy enough, considering that it is everyone's business. Interestingly, 9% of Muscovites feel sorry for vegetarians, 15% of people in respect of such resistance, and 13% believe that this lifestyle is harmful to health (chart number 3). As can be seen from the graphs, about half of the respondents to the question of Muscovites that they would like to become a vegetarian, decisive answer "NO" (chart number 4). This index is greatest among school-age children (69%), manual workers (64%) and retirees (62%). Percentage of people who could out of curiosity to refuse the use of meat, is greatest among people of the same physical work (32%), followed by students (31%) and poor (28%). Staunch vegetarians mostly found among the intelligentsia (32%) and among the rich (25%), least of all - among manual workers (2%).
The study confirmed the view that the student always enough to eat - because of fear of starvation, many students would never have given up meat. Pensioners and poor people pay special attention to health and believe that vegetarianism is not acceptable for them precisely because of its alleged harm to health. We now turn to those who are ready, perhaps not today but sometime in the future, to join the vegetarians. We consider separately for men and women (Figures 5 and № № 6). In general, a greater curiosity to the idea expressed by men. Almost half of wealthy Muscovites male (49%) willing to give up meat to stay healthy. People of physical labor, students and retirees are willing to give up meat for ideological reasons, but for the poor play a large role money. Appearance concern exclusively of young people in the capital: the figure for the sake of ready to eat meat is not 22% of students and 27% of the students. The question of religion, it seems, for Muscovites is not important, only 2% of the students could give up meat for religious reasons.
As for rich women, 18% believe that vegetarianism helps maintain shape, and 39% are willing to become a vegetarian because they believe it is now fashionable. 8% of women manual workers and 4% of students believe that they can save money on meat. The most idealistic men were engaged in manual labor: 74% of them, if you ever give up meat, it is likely, for ideological reasons. Thus, the results of the survey showed that more than 10% of respondents consider themselves vegetarians Muscovites (chart number 7). We admit that this fact upon us, because we did not expect that the percentage of adherents of this way of life will be so high. Consider the reasons that led these people to become vegetarians (chart number 8). 33% of the respondents explained their commitment to the vegetarian vegetable food that they just do not like meat. The second most popular answer to the question of why people do not eat meat, was <I feel sorry for animals> (29%). 23% of vegetarians do not eat meat, because it does not allow them to religion, while 21% of respondents refused meat for health reasons. Concern about the figure does not allow the steaks to enjoy 12% percent of the respondents. 10% of respondents to the question limited to vague wording <to convince>. Only 8% admitted to the existence of a link between their transition to vegetarian food and mouth disease epidemic. Vegetarians generally find their chosen path of an individual, however, 23% of them are actively promoting their ideas and try to convince others by his example to give up meat (chart number 9). Thus, we can conclude that the behavioral attitudes of Muscovites in relation to this phenomenon is quite diverse. We are convinced that the most conservative meat-eaters - are pensioners and people in physical labor. It also became clear that the ratio of students to vegetarianism depends on the family tradition. In general, some Muscovites believe that a vegetarian become impossible if all the other family members continue to eat meat, because in this case, the transition to vegetarian diet would be perceived as deviant behavior. Thus, verification of the hypothesis in general confirmed our assumptions. In our view, this study can be regarded as a flight. In such a dynamic country like Russia, it would be interesting to conduct a panel study across the country to see how under the influence of addiction to the west and at the same time with increasing curiosity to the eastern theories will change the attitude of Russians to vegetarianism.  "Eurasian Vegetarian Society" offers you to take part in the sociological study of "Vegetarian Today: the path to health or fashion?"
Your age - ____ years
Your gender Male , Female
Your education: higher incomplete higher secondary Two or more higher
Your earnings: less than 100 $ 100-300 $ 300-500 $ 500-1000 $ more than $ 1,000
Religious beliefs _______________________________
Your profession _______________________________________
A. Which of the products you will not eat?
bread, dairy products
fish meat
bird eggs
honey alcohol Two. How often do you eat meat?
more than once a day 2-3 times a year
one time day only on holidays
more than once a week, do not eat
more than once per month
Three. Do you observe religious positions?
no
yes, be sure to
I try, but do not always have enough exposure 4. The man who does not eat the meat of it:
eccentric
Vegetarian
a follower of the movement to protect animals
a member of the Green Party
grinpisovets
a believer in some religion Five. Are any of your friends or relatives are vegetarians (people who do not eat meat, poultry, fish)?
yes, all
no (do not know)
is ___________ (insert number) people 6. How do you feel about vegetarianism and vegetarians?
I do not know, never to come across this before
calm attitude, it is everyone's business
I do not understand why they need it
I just feel sorry for them
I respect these people for their steadfastness
think it's bad for your health
I think that it is now just becoming fashionable
I think, a kind of religion
to live as they are very expensive, and I envy that they can afford it 7. Would you like to become a vegetarian?
No, no way
curiosity can try
I consider myself a vegetarian (see continued on the back!)
would be, but I can not because _____________________________
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS! If you consider themselves vegetarians, please fill in this side!
A. Why do not you eat meat?
I am a vegetarian
just do not like
I am disgusted with the taste
doctor's orders
observe the positions of
no money for meat
I want to keep in shape
vegetarianstvovat now fashionable
sorry for the animals
after the epidemic of foot and mouth fear of contracting some disease
for another reason: _______________________________________ Two. If you eat fish, how often?
every day
more than once a week
more than once per month
at least once a month
2-3 times a year
only on holidays
do not eat Three. When you become a vegetarian?
was in ________ years and vegetarianism is ________ years
was a vegetarian for ________ years,
but again began to eat meat because _________________________________ 4. What influenced your decision to become a vegetarian?
a family tradition
religious beliefs
ideological considerations
health problems
stories and entreaties of friends, acquaintances
other: ________________________________________ Five. How do you feel about vegetarian?
I can not sit with them at the same table
think it is everyone's business, so treat them safely
I envy what they can afford to eat any food
I try to convince them to become vegetarians
______________________________________ (your answer) THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS!
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