Cultural comparison research designs in food, eating, and nutrition

Abstract

Culture plays a central role in shaping food, eating, and nutrition. Research that makes cultural comparisons extends our understanding of cultural generality and uniqueness. Several types of research designs can be used to make cultural comparisons, both synchronic (at one point in time) and diachronic (across time). Uni-cultural designs examine phenomena within cultural cases but do not explicitly make cultural comparisons. Sub-cultural designs compare cultural groups within a complex society in the form of ethnic group comparisons and acculturation studies. Cross-cultural designs examine differences between several cultures, investigating individuals in cross-national and migration studies and investigating societies in holocultural research and globalization analyses. When implementing research designs to make cultural comparisons, other methodological issues must be considered such as defining units of analysis, sampling cultures and individuals within cultures, and developing equivalent measurement procedures for different cultures. Specific consideration of research design and research method implementation can strengthen cultural comparison research in food, eating, and nutrition.