How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications
Abstract This study examines public discourses of genetically modified foods (GMFs) on Chinese social media WeChat. Through a discourse-historical approach, it focuses on how critics of GMFs discursively construct and legitimate their views against GMFs and explores the ideologies underpinning their...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04964-z |
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| author | Jinrong Lin Xuekun Liu |
| author_facet | Jinrong Lin Xuekun Liu |
| author_sort | Jinrong Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study examines public discourses of genetically modified foods (GMFs) on Chinese social media WeChat. Through a discourse-historical approach, it focuses on how critics of GMFs discursively construct and legitimate their views against GMFs and explores the ideologies underpinning their distrust. Findings show that opponents employ metaphors, ironies, moralization, and intertextuality to emotionally and morally appeal against GMFs, creating tensions with modern agricultural discourses. The paper reflects on researchers’ stance as critical discourse analysts in analyzing such a significant yet controversial topic and demonstrates the importance of keeping a neutral, yet critical position in revealing the nuances of debates about GMFs. Implications for food policy researchers to address arguments against GMFs are also discussed in this paper. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d4f6e1c59bae41afa3815149e615a48b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-d4f6e1c59bae41afa3815149e615a48b2025-08-20T01:49:48ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-05-011211910.1057/s41599-025-04964-zHow Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implicationsJinrong Lin0Xuekun Liu1Jinan UniversityCentral China Normal UniversityAbstract This study examines public discourses of genetically modified foods (GMFs) on Chinese social media WeChat. Through a discourse-historical approach, it focuses on how critics of GMFs discursively construct and legitimate their views against GMFs and explores the ideologies underpinning their distrust. Findings show that opponents employ metaphors, ironies, moralization, and intertextuality to emotionally and morally appeal against GMFs, creating tensions with modern agricultural discourses. The paper reflects on researchers’ stance as critical discourse analysts in analyzing such a significant yet controversial topic and demonstrates the importance of keeping a neutral, yet critical position in revealing the nuances of debates about GMFs. Implications for food policy researchers to address arguments against GMFs are also discussed in this paper.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04964-z |
| spellingShingle | Jinrong Lin Xuekun Liu How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| title_full | How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| title_fullStr | How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| title_short | How Chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods: discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| title_sort | how chinese online critics oppose genetically modified foods discourse analysis and food policy implications |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04964-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jinronglin howchineseonlinecriticsopposegeneticallymodifiedfoodsdiscourseanalysisandfoodpolicyimplications AT xuekunliu howchineseonlinecriticsopposegeneticallymodifiedfoodsdiscourseanalysisandfoodpolicyimplications |