Meaning & Measurement Mini-Conference

Kyoko Sato— Princeton University ksato@Princeton.EDU I am a graduate student at Princeton University, working on a dissertation that comparatively analyzes the processes through which nationally distinct policy frameworks for genetically modified (GM) foods emerged in the United States, France and Japan. In particular, my dissertation examines how different understandings of GM foods came about in each country’s public discourse and how they interacted with policy developments. I analyze media discourse, policy debates, and laws and policy statements, as well as interview some of the key actors in each country. My main theoretical interest concerns how available cultural resources in each national setting shape and are shaped by political development around a particular issue. I am also interested in how I can improve my method of content analysis, which looks at changes in themes, frames and actors (those represented in the discourse) over time and the relationships among those three factors in the data from each country.