We Would Not Eat Dog Meat Considering Their Well-Being and the Environmental Benefits, at Home or Traveling Abroad

Abstract

This study examined Vietnamese young people’s intentions to eat and recommend eating dog meat while staying in Vietnam and when traveling in Korea, taking into account the impacts of three egoistic values (functional, hedonic, and symbolic), three altruistic values (animal-, environment-, and society-oriented), and five sociodemographic and personality variables (biological sex, original place of residence, parents’ education and income, and masculinity–femininity). This study developed a structured questionnaire based on the existing literature. It then administered the questionnaire to a sample of university students in Hanoi, Vietnam. A sample of 249 responses was aggregated. The outcomes revealed the significant contributions of two altruistic values of animal- and environment-oriented and one sociodemographic factor of the place of residence (i.e., urban vs. rural). However, the intentions were weak in both scenarios: Vietnam and Korea. This study discussed the implications of these outcomes with future social marketing campaigns aiming at reducing irregular meat consumption. This study examined all perceived values and consumer behavior domains, especially for irregular meat consumption. It helped reveal relative contribution of each value domain to consumers’ behavior in their daily lives and during their holidays. The findings indicate that the potential changes in the sociocultural environments via international tourism might not impact young people’s intention toward consuming irregular meat. Keywords: dog meat, Vietnam, Korea, altruistic values, egoistic values. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.88