Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) has established itself in Korean society not merely as a food ingredient, but as a symbol of cultural pride and distinction. However, the spread of ethical consumption discourse in modern society triggers psychological co...
Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) has established itself in Korean society not merely as a food ingredient, but as a symbol of cultural pride and distinction. However, the spread of ethical consumption discourse in modern society triggers psychological conflict regarding meat eating among consumers, known as the 'Meat Paradox.' This study aims to identify the influence of cultural capital—a social background variable—on Hanwoo consumption behavior based on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. It seeks to comprehensively analyze the mediating effects of psychological mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance, moral disengagement, and moral licensing in this process. Additionally, Peterson's Omnivore hypothesis was applied to verify the impact of cultural capital on dietary diversity.
To this end, a survey was conducted on 800 adult consumers residing in Seoul who have experience purchasing Hanwoo. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 for frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and mediation/moderation effect analysis using PROCESS Macro.
The major empirical results of this study are as follows:
First, sub-types of Hanwoo cultural capital (institutionalized, objectified, and embodied) had differential effects on consumers' psychological mechanisms. Specifically, professional knowledge regarding Hanwoo (embodied) and the ownership of related items (objectified) increased cognitive dissonance while simultaneously strengthening moral disengagement and licensing mechanisms to resolve it. Conversely, social sharing activities, defined as 'gastronomic culture participation' (embodied), contributed to increasing moral licensing tendencies.
Second, regarding the impact of psychological mechanisms on consumption behavior, 'Moral Licensing' was identified as a key factor significantly increasing both consumption frequency and consumption amount. 'Moral Disengagement' had a positive (+) effect on consumption frequency but did not have a significant effect on consumption amount. In contrast, '4N justification,' a general logic for meat eating, did not lead to actual consumption behavior. This suggests that what resolves the meat paradox and drives actual consumption is not passive beliefs (4N), but active psychological strategies (disengagement, licensing) that avoid guilt or grant rewards for good deeds.
Third, the determinants for the quantitative aspects of consumption—'frequency' and 'amount'—differed. Hanwoo consumption frequency was a domain of 'lifestyle' influenced by complex interactions of cultural capital and psychological mechanisms, whereas expenditure per occasion (amount) was strong in the nature of an 'economic/situational' decision mainly influenced by income level and moral licensing. Furthermore, the Omnivore hypothesis—that higher cultural capital leads to enjoying diverse food cultures—was supported , and notably, 'Moral Licensing' was revealed as a psychological mechanism enabling the coexistence of ethical consumption and hedonic consumption.
Fourth, verification of the moderating effects of demographic characteristics revealed that gender, age, and income level moderate the relationship between cultural capital and consumption behavior. The effect of gastronomic culture participation on consumption frequency was stronger in males and older age groups, while the positive effect of institutionalized cultural capital was distinct in high-income groups, and the effect of objectified cultural capital was distinct in middle- and low-income groups, confirming heterogeneity within classes.
This study holds academic significance in that it elucidates the deep-seated mechanisms of Hanwoo consumption by combining macro-sociological theory and micro-social psychological theory. In particular, by proving that moral licensing is a powerful mechanism explaining premium consumption and omnivorous dietary life, this study suggests the need for a segmented approach considering consumers' psychological indulgence and reward mentality in establishing future food service marketing and consumer communication strategies.