Genmat i fokus : Analyser av fokusgruppssamtal om genförändrade livsmedel

Sammanfattning: This study focuses on social representations of genetically modified food (GMF). Drawing on data from eleven focus groups including lay people and decision-makers within the food industry, it aims to analyse how people talk about and try to comprehend and anchor the issue of GMF. It also aims to develop methods for a dialogical content analysis, so that the dynamics inherent in conversations can be captured.The analyses have focused on recurrent themes, topic structure, discursive construction of agents and agency, analogies and distinctions, quotes, and implicit assumptions. The main findings were. a) fear as a central theme; b) a view of nature as inherently good and of humans as topping the value hierarchy of nature; c) a critical view on knowledge, information and experts; d) feelings of a lack of agency.While the analyses demonstrate that lay people reflect actively and critically, expressing a lack of trust in the media, politicians and scientists, it is argued that there is a need for a dialogue between lay people and experts, in order to encourage mutual trust rather than suspicion.