Problems in comparative research : the example of omnivorousness

Article on the link between omnivorous taste and consumption and social status. First, author examines the role of comparative research on omnivorousness taste from its serendipitous discovery and its evolving conceptualization to questions about its passing. Second, Peterson reviews six problems of conceptualization, operationalization and measurement encountered in comparative research. Third, he points to six sources of erroneous findings that are due to artifacts introduced by the methodology. Fourth, he shows the importance of using alternative methods in comparative research. And finally, he explores the possibility that discrepant findings may be due to changes in the socio-cultural world.