Fluent Essays

Article: Individual versus corporate responsibility By: Samantha Kwan There is a pervasive belief in modern Western societies that bodies are malleable and that the fat body is a product of individual choice. Despite biological and social limitations, individuals often think that the body is an achievable state and a reflection of moral fiber (Edgley and Brissett 1990). As Susan Bordo (2003) aptly describes, unwanted bulges are metaphors for internal processes out of control—uncontained desire, unrestrained hunger, uncontrolled impulse. Jeffery Sobal (1995) labels body discourses that centralize agency as “moral models of fatness.” These models suggest that fat is bad and that fat people are weak and lacking in willpower. Moral models of fatness place blame on overweight individuals and hold them responsible for their bodies. The prevalence of these models corresponds in part to the widespread stigma, stereotyping, and discrimination that fat individuals experience in contemporary Western societies (Puhl and Brownell 2001). In recent years, however, talk about the fat body has expanded and the role of social structural influences on body type has entered public discourse. For example, nutritionists now point to the food industry’s role in creating a “toxic environment” that facilitates weight gain (Brownell and Horgen 2004). Moreover, research on “obesity causal claims” in the print media documents the growing presence of a “systemic frame” or perspective on obesity (Lawrence 2004). Unlike “individualizing frames” that limit causes to individuals, systemic frames have a broader focus and acknowledge multiple social forces that shape consumption patterns such as the abundance of inexpensive unhealthy foods. In popular culture, Morgan Spurlock’s Oscar- nominated film Super Size Me (2004) and Eric Schlosser’s best-selling book Fast Food Nation (2001) underscore the role of the fast food industry. Today, public discourse on fat not only implicates the individual, but also the food industry as a culprit in the so-called “obesity epidemic.”1 In sum, while individual agency is usually central to discussions of the fat body, recently there has been some acknowledgment of the role that social structural forces play in shaping body type. In this paper, I examine meanings about the fat body in light of these issues of agency and structure.2 Specifically, I examine the role of the food industry in shaping body type, the food industry’s position, and lay perspectives. I begin by examining how the food industry shapes consumption patterns by creating a “toxic environment” and the various public responses that have emerged to induce corporate responsibility. I then turn to the food industry’s position—a perspective that emphasizes agency that I label a “market choice” frame. With this discursive context set, I then assess the resonance of this frame, paying specific attention to the issue of responsibility. How do individuaAssignment 3: Reading Academic Research – Kwan Article (100 points) This worksheet will walk you through the process of reading an academic article. The questions follow the structure of the article, from beginning to end. Please type directly on this sheet – expand sections as needed. Each question is worth 4 points (You name counts as one question, Q5 counts as two, and Q14 counts as three). ! Be sure to read directions carefully and answer all questions completely. 1. Write the article’s citation in ASA style: 2. Where did you find the info? 3. It is common to include a sentence beginning with “This paper, …” that explains what the paper is about. Where is the first mention of the phrase “This paper, …”? 4. In your own words, what is the paper about? 5. Authors typically try to fill a void in the existing research. What is the “black hole” that Kwan is trying to fill? Use the columns below to help you sort out the information 6. Name a study that Kwan references in the paper. List the author’s name and date (and page number you found the reference) and explain why Kwan includes the author(s)’s idea(s). 7. On p479, Kwan elaborates an outline of the rest of the article. The first point is when she says “I begin …” Based on this section, write the outline of her article in the space below (HINT: you have to read between the lines). 8. There is a way to double check yourself using the article itself. What is it? In other words, how else can you easily identify the article’s outline? WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN? (This creates the “bulk” of the knowledge) THE BLACK HOLE – WHAT’S LEFT OUT (What she is going to “find”) 9. How does Kwan define the Toxic Environment? On what page? 10.How does Kwan define the Market Choice Frame? On what page? 11.What type of method does the paper employ? Be specific. 12.Were the respondents paid for their time? Where did you find evidence of this? 13.Who is included in the study’s sample? In other words, who did she talk to? Be specific. 14.In the Results section Kwan states that the qualitative data “strongly corroborate” the quantitative data. a. Where did the qualitative data come from? b. The quantitative? c. What does she mean by “strongly corroborate”? 15.What is the position “held by the majority of respondents”? 16.What claim did respondents reject? 17.The respondents claimed that they could make their own decisions. But that a particular group needed protecting. Who? 18.What type of research is this: Explanatory, Descriptive, Exploratory? 19.What does Kwan find? 20.Why does Kwan think she found what she did? 21.What do you find to be the most interesting part of this study?