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Vegaphobia: Derogatory discourses of veganism and the reproduction of speciesism in UK national newspapers
Abstract
This paper critically examines discourses of veganism in UK national newspapers in 2007. In setting parameters for what can and cannot easily be discussed, dominant discourses also help frame understanding. Discourses relating to veganism are therefore presented as contravening commonsense, because they fall outside readily understood meat-eating discourses. Newspapers tend to discredit veganism through ridicule, or as being difficult or impossible to maintain in practice. Vegans are variously stereotyped as ascetics, faddists, sentimentalists, or in some cases, hostile extremists. The overall effect is of a derogatory portrayal of vegans and veganism that we interpret as 'vegaphobia'. We interpret derogatory discourses of veganism in UK national newspapers as evidence of the cultural reproduction of speciesism, through which veganism is dissociated from its connection with debates concerning nonhuman animals' rights or liberation. This is problematic in three, interrelated, respects. First, it empirically misrepresents the experience of veganism, and thereby marginalizes vegans. Second, it perpetuates a moral injury to omnivorous readers who are not presented with the opportunity to understand veganism and the challenge to speciesism that it contains. Third, and most seriously, it obscures and thereby reproduces exploitative and violent relations between human and nonhuman animals.
... The mainstreaming of veganism, which once represented a radical movement (Cole and Morgan, 2011), now faces the complexities of being marketed to a broader audience, which includes flexitarians and other non-vegan groups (Bryant and Sanctorum, 2021). This change may have influenced how vegans interpret and engage with brands, potentially redefining what is considered beneficial for the movement. ...
... The primary objective of vegan ideology is to expand its reach by encouraging more individuals to adopt a PB lifestyle, with the ultimate aim of reducing the suffering and exploitation of animals (Cole and Morgan, 2011). Early veganism in the UK was largely driven by concerns related to animal rights and vegans were often viewed as fringe activists, primarily advocating for animal welfare. ...
... Early veganism in the UK was largely driven by concerns related to animal rights and vegans were often viewed as fringe activists, primarily advocating for animal welfare. By the 1990s and early 2000s, veganism began to gain more public recognition, largely due to increasing awareness of environmental degradation and the ethical issues surrounding factory farming (Cole and Morgan, 2011). ...
This study investigates veganism's transition from a radical ideology to a mainstream consumer trend. It focuses on the perceptions of vegan consumers in the United Kingdom, specifically examining their views on the branding and marketing of plant-based (PB) meat alternatives. This study explores how consumer identity, socio-psychological factors and product marketing affect purchasing behaviour. Findings reveal a complex relationship between personal beliefs, ethical convictions, and actual purchasing behaviour. The research also highlights mixed attitudes toward the influence of flexitarians and non-vegan groups on the vegan movement's cultural and ideological direction, as well as the interplay between corporations and grassroots activism.
... It ain't easy being green, as Kermit the Frog so famously said. Sociological research has uncovered a general derogation of vegans at all levels of society, including the personal (MacInnis and Hodson, 2017), the institutional (Greenebaum, 2016), and the cultural (Cole and Morgan, 2011). This negativity has been identified as a key barrier to vegan transition (Markowski and Roxburgh, 2019), which is a particular nuisance given the litany of inequalities associated with non-vegan consumption ('natural' disasters and zoonotic outbreaks such as COVID-19 included). ...
... To address this, I offer an exploratory analysis of mainstream UK newspapers to survey the new normal of vegan ideology in a post-COVID society. I expected that the time that had transpired since previous analyses (Almiron, Cole and Freeman, 2016;Cole and Morgan, 2011), in tandem with the mobilizing moment that the pandemic offered, would result in a substantially different media discourse. I conducted a content analysis of articles mentioning veganism published in 2020, the first full year of . ...
... I conducted a content analysis of articles mentioning veganism published in 2020, the first full year of . In contrast to the more pessimistic findings uncovered by Cole and Morgan's (2011) research conducted in the 2010s, the results of this study uncovered a mediascape that is vegan-curious and generally supportive of plant-based living. ...
Sociological research has uncovered a general derogation of vegans in all levels of society including the personal (MacInnis and Hodson 2017), the institutional (Greenebaum 2016), and the cultural (Cole and Morgan 2011). This negativity has been identified as a key barrier to vegan transition (Markowski and Roxburgh 2019). It is a particular nuisance given the litany of inequalities associated with nonvegan consumption (“natural” disasters and zoonotic outbreaks like COVID-19 included).
Given that vegan claimsmaking directly challenges established power structures and capitalist interests, vegan stigmatization and derision is perhaps predictable. Nonetheless, veganism has managed to gain a foothold on the popular imagination: vegan options continually increase in availability across stores and restaurants, while, each year, growing numbers of participants register for vegan challenges (such as the UK’s Veganuary and the Afro Vegan Society’s Veguary). The public seems to be considerably more educated about the treatment of other animals in speciesist industries and the relationship between speciesism and climate change (Sanchez-Sabate and Sabaté 2019).
This increased attention is remarkable given that traditional news spaces have historically been antagonistic. Critical Animal Studies scholars have observed that the media frequently protects the interests of the powerful, particularly as media conglomeration has concentrated ownership among a small number of elites. For this reason, social movements that counter power inequities are often misrepresented or outright ignored in mainstream media (Earl et al. 2004, Hocke 1999). This power is not absolute, however, and media producers must negotiate, to some extent, with their consumers.
Having persisted for over a century, veganism has become a cultural mainstay of interest to audiences regardless of the historical misrepresentation or invisibilization of veganism. How have mainstream news channels adapted? To address this, I conducted an exploratory analysis of mainstream UK newspapers to survey the new normal of vegan ideology in a post-COVID society. Results were published in Human-Animal Relationships in Times of Pandemic and Climate Crisis (Browne & Sutton 2024). I expected that the time transpired since previous analyses in tandem with the mobilizing moment that the pandemic offered would result in a substantially different media discourse. I conducted a content analysis of articles mentioning veganism published in 2020, the first full year of COVID-19.
In contrast to the more pessimistic findings uncovered by research conducted in the 2010s, the results of this study find a mediascape that is vegan curious and generally supportive of plant-based living. Veganism is predominantly presented in a positive light, especially with regard to goods to buy, restaurants to visit and festivals to patronize. Today’s veganism is a more or less normal contender in the marketplace, at least as presented by British newspapers.
This monetized lifestyle veganism was predominantly detached from the pandemic. Although the sample used in this study encapsulated the COVID-19 crisis, much of the vegan coverage appears to have been following the momentum of the pre-existing normalization of veganism and the substantial upward trend in vegan product development and availability. Some articles did mention COVID-19, but these largely related to the space the pandemic created for testing new products or launching new services.
A few articles mentioned COVID-19 as a motivator for trying veganism or at least consuming more vegan food, and this is consistent with the heightened public attention to health, homesteading and hobbying associated with the pandemic. However, the importance of veganism for preventing pandemics (and strengthening resistance to disease) could have been emphasized, but was not.
Veganism as a solution to climate change actually surfaced more than veganism as a solution to pandemics. The somewhat ambiguous concept of climate change offers a considerably more generic frame than the pandemic and, notably, climate change is also consistent with ‘green’ capitalism’s sustainable growth (consumption-centric) model. Perhaps COVID-19 represents a missed opportunity for campaigners, but it is more likely that veganism understood as a site of resistance to zoonotic disease is considerably more political and thus harder to monetize – at least for the time being.
Ultimately, the focus on vegan products and dietary practices has created a depoliticized image of veganism. Critical discussions of non-human animal rights and speciesism were noticeably absent in the sample, while the capitalist encroachment on veganism was omnipresent. Approximately half of the articles in the sample related to vegan products or services.
... According to Patella, vegaphobia refers to hatred against veg*ns, which manifests itself in stigmatizing, ridiculing or devaluing behaviors and attitudes, especially in relation to anti-species ideologies (2020, p. 105). Studies conducted in different countries show that meat-eaters have negative attitudes towards veg*ans (Michel, et al., 2021;Cole, & Morgan, 2011;Minson, & Monin, 2012;(De Groeve, & Rosenfeld, 2022;MacInnis, & Hodson, 2017;Markowski, & Roxburgh, 2019;Bagci, et al., 2022). Various studies have shown that vegans have to struggle with attitudes and behaviors such as stereotyping, mocking, ridiculing, humiliating, labeling, marginalizing, force-feeding meat products or making vegans suffer by talking about animals while eating meat around them (Minson, & Monin, 2012;MacInnis, & Hodson, 2017;Markowski, & Roxburgh, 2019;Michel, et al., 2021;Veen, et al., 2023;Uzbay-Ulgen, 2023). ...
... Vegans believe that patriarchy is a gender system inherent in human and animal relations, and therefore food contributes to gender construction (Adams, 2013, p. 37). The belief that vegans are against the established order, the arrogant attitudes of vegans towards meateaters, the militant behavior of some vegans (Gregson et al., 2022, p. 9), and the perception that vegans have judgmental and hostile attitudes towards meat-eaters (Cole & Morgan, 2011) are motivations that have emerged in these studies on vegaphobia. In a study conducted to understand to what extent the behavior or attitudes of veg*ns influence vegaphobic behavior or attitudes, omnivores were asked what they think about veg*ns. ...
... Deviant veg*ns are seen as a subcultural group and marginalized (Boyle, 2011, p. 314;Veen, et al., 2023, p. 55). It is thought that people generally view veg*ns negatively because they disrupt social traditions related to food (Markowski, & Roxburgh, 2019, p. 1;Cole, & Morgan, 2011). In particular, veganism is considered a symbolic threat to cultural traditions (Judge, & Wilson, 2019, p. 171). ...
Vegaphobia is considered to be any derogatory description of vegans, or any form of discrimination faced by vegans. The discrimination experienced can be direct or indirect. Individuals who prefer a plant-based diet experience or perceive discrimination. This study examines the concept of vegaphobia and attitudes towards anti-vegans and discriminatory behaviors against vegans based on the literature. Individuals who adopt a vegan diet claim that they are subjected to discrimination in different dimensions, ranging from being forced to consume animal products to constantly being made to explain themselves or not being able to find suitable foods for themselves. On the other hand, it is also necessary to mention the accusatory language used by vegans against non-vegans. In this study, the types of discrimination faced and felt by vegans and the positioning of non-vegans in this debate will be evaluated in the context of the concepts of vegaphobia and discrimination.
... Although ethical and health concerns were at the forefront of reasons for becoming vegan, a 2015 study highlighted that vegans and vegetarians face many societal stereotypes, prejudices, and negative emotions directed against them [39]. For example, in the early 2010s, newspapers in the United Kingdom portrayed veganism in a derogatory and ridiculed way, and vegans were framed as ascetics at best but also as extremists [40]. The term "vegaphobia" was coined to describe the derogatory discourses about veganism and the social aversion to vegans and vegetarians [40]. ...
... For example, in the early 2010s, newspapers in the United Kingdom portrayed veganism in a derogatory and ridiculed way, and vegans were framed as ascetics at best but also as extremists [40]. The term "vegaphobia" was coined to describe the derogatory discourses about veganism and the social aversion to vegans and vegetarians [40]. ...
... Stigma has been defined as an "attribute that is deeply discrediting", which may include the avoidance, shaming, or ridicule of individuals with this attribute [41]. Existing literature suggests that vegans are vulnerable to such stigma because of their "dietary deviance" [42]; they "disrupt social conventions related to food" and, in particular, meat consumption [5,40,43]. Vegan stigma does not prevent people from adopting a vegan lifestyle [38]. ...
This article explores the factors influencing the choice of general practitioners (GPs) and their role in the health care of vegans in Austria. The number of people identifying as vegan is on the rise, and GPs are increasingly confronted with vegan patients. A qualitative method was chosen for this study, and 14 semi-structured interviews with vegans were conducted between April 2022 and July 2022. Participants were recruited primarily through vegan social media groups. In their experiences with health care, vegans felt treated unequally or sometimes incorrectly. The experiences described highlight that participants felt that most GPs were biased against their veganism. Information exchange among vegans primarily takes place online and through publications of vegan associations, while GPs play a minor role in information provision. As the number of vegans grows, an appreciative way of communicating between GPs and vegan patients ought to be promoted. Voluntary interdisciplinary nutritional training, collaboration of the medical field with support organizations, provision of evidence-based information, and collaboration with dietitians and nutritionists could enrich the care of patients with a vegan diet.
... However, vegetarians may face unique stressors related to their dietary choice [35]. These difficulties may include finding suitable food options and a lack of social support [35]; for instance, in Western societies, vegetarians, who are often a minority, may encounter prejudice due to their dietary choices. ...
... However, vegetarians may face unique stressors related to their dietary choice [35]. These difficulties may include finding suitable food options and a lack of social support [35]; for instance, in Western societies, vegetarians, who are often a minority, may encounter prejudice due to their dietary choices. These attitudes may have a detrimental effect on their psychosocial well-being, which could worsen feelings of isolation or social exclusion [34]. ...
Background: Vegetarianism is commonly associated with various health benefits. However, the association between this dietary regimen and aspects of mental health remains ambiguous. This study compared the symptoms of depression and anxiety, emotional eating (EmE), and body mass index (BMI) in Peruvian vegetarian and non-vegetarian adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 768 Peruvian adults, of whom 284 (37%) were vegetarians and 484 (63%) were non-vegetarians. The Depression Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 (GAD-2), and an EmE questionnaire were applied; additionally, the BMI was calculated. Simple and multiple linear regression and Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to evaluate the association between depression, anxiety, EmE, and BMI with dietary patterns. Results: The vegetarians (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 0.24, 95% CI 0.16–0.31; p < 0.001) reported more depressive symptoms than the non-vegetarians. This trend persisted for anxiety, with an adjusted PR of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.01–0.29; p = 0.012). However, the vegetarians (adjusted PR = −0.38, 95% CI: −0.61–−0.14; p < 0.001) reported lower EmE scores compared to the non-vegetarians. Likewise, the vegetarians had a lower mean BMI than the non-vegetarians (B = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.21–−0.08; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Vegetarian diets are associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as lower EmE and BMI scores. Further longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate these associations and determine causality and the underlying mechanisms involved.
... Stigmatization and discrimination are hindering factors in both sustaining (Salehi et al., 2020) and transitioning to a plant-based diet (Markowski and Roxburgh, 2019). This stigmatization can occur on the part of the media, where veganism is frequently portrayed in a negative way and described as not being feasible in everyday life (Cole and Morgan, 2011;Brookes and Chałupnik, 2023) or in the form of stigmatization and prejudice on the part of close friends and family (Haverstock and Forgays, 2012;MacInnis and Hodson, 2017;Bolderdijk and Cornelissen, 2022). In addition, it is noteworthy that vegans report more criticism arising from their social environment due to their diet than vegetarians (Fiestas-Flores and Pyhälä, 2018). ...
... Feasibility in everyday life is least important to vegans, followed by prospective vegans and vegetarians. This may highlight why vegetarians decide not to adopt a vegan diet and also may be a reflection of prospective vegans' concerns regarding said transition to veganism, aligning with previous studies (Cole and Morgan, 2011;Giacoman et al., 2023). Based on the present data, the aspect of feasibility seems to be one of great importance, especially for vegetarians and prospective vegans who envisage becoming vegan to be relatively difficult. ...
Introduction
Although vegan and vegetarian diets and lifestyles differ significantly from each other, among other things, notably in their respective consequences regarding animal welfare and their ecological impact, vegans and vegetarians are often grouped together and usually compared to omnivores in psychological research. Considering that vegans and vegetarians often share similar motives for their lifestyle choices, namely animal and environmental issues, the question arises why similar motives lead to different conclusions and correspondingly different behaviors, most notably, of course, that vegetarians consume animal-derived foods such as cheese or milk while vegans do not consume animal-derived products (e.g., food, cosmetic products). This is why this study explored the psychological differences between vegans, vegetarians, and prospective vegans – the latter group being located in an intermediate, transitionary position. Focusing on the motivational, affective and cognitive components of dietary transition and participants’ adherence to eating patterns, reasons for said patterns, possible hinderances to becoming vegan, the role of participants’ social environments, and the impact of various misconceptions regarding the feasibility of a vegan diet in everyday life were all explored.
Methods
An observational study was conducted via online questionnaire (1420 participants).
Results
Significant differences were found between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians, especially concerning their knowledge of issues pertaining to their respective lifestyles.
Discussion
The critical role of knowledge is invoked as an explanation as to why vegans and vegetarians display different behaviors although they share a similar motivation. Thus, in this study the concept of vegan literacy is introduced. Additionally, the distinctive role of cheese is explored, discussing possible indications of its potentially addictive nature and, consequently, the importance of cheese as a hindering factor for pursuing a vegan diet.
... Negative attitudes towards vegans and vegetarians are common (Earle et al. 2019;Horta 2018), such as the view that vegans are 'killjoys' (Twine 2014). Newspapers perpetuate derogatory stereotypes of veganism, describing it as impossible to sustain or as a fad diet, while characterizing vegans as oversensitive or hostile individuals (Cole and Morgan 2011). It has been argued that such dismissal of animal rights advocates as 'crazy' or irrational diminishes their social justice claims (Wrenn et al. 2015) and functions as a cultural reproduction of speciesism (Cole and Morgan 2011). ...
... Newspapers perpetuate derogatory stereotypes of veganism, describing it as impossible to sustain or as a fad diet, while characterizing vegans as oversensitive or hostile individuals (Cole and Morgan 2011). It has been argued that such dismissal of animal rights advocates as 'crazy' or irrational diminishes their social justice claims (Wrenn et al. 2015) and functions as a cultural reproduction of speciesism (Cole and Morgan 2011). ...
The literature on the epistemology of ignorance already discusses how certain forms of discrimination, such as racism and sexism, are perpetuated by the ignorance of individuals and groups. However, little attention has been given to how speciesism—a form of discrimination on the basis of species membership—is sustained through ignorance. Of the few animal ethicists who explicitly discuss ignorance, none have related this concept to speciesism as a form of discrimination. However, it is crucial to explore this connection, I argue, as ignorance is both an integral part of the injustice done to animals as well as an obstacle to improving their treatment. In order to adequately criticize sustained structural speciesism and injustices towards animals, I develop an epistemological account of ‘speciesist ignorance’. I begin by defining and distinguishing between individual and group-based accounts of speciesist ignorance. I argue that humans, taken as a group, enjoy a position of privilege, which allows them to comfortably remain ignorant of their participation in collective wrongdoings towards animals. Additionally, I point out that speciesist ignorance is structurally encouraged and thereby maintains the dominant view that the human-animal-relationship, as it stands, is just. In sum, this article lays the groundwork for a social epistemology of speciesist ignorance. In particular, it informs further debate about individual and institutional epistemic duties to inquire into speciesism and to inform the public, about the moral culpability of ignorant actions, and about effective animal advocacy and policy which actively rejects speciesist ignorance.
... Content validity involves establishing theoretical content with the domain of interest, which in this case was the variety of stereotypes people may have about vegans. We sought to establish a comprehensive model of vegan stereotype content using existing theory and research (Cole & Morgan, 2011;Hartmann, et al. 2018;Markwoski & Roxburgh, 2019;Minson & Monin, 2012) as well as a preliminary qualitative study (Aloni et al., 2024). In that study, 154 participants rated vegans on a variety of traits and answered two open-ended questions pertaining to their own impressions of vegans and peoples' expectations of vegans in general. ...
... Many studies have demonstrated that vegans are stereotyped with a variety of positive and negative attributes (Aloni et al., 2024;Cole & Morgan, 2011;De Groeve et al., 2021;Markowski & Roxburgh, 2019;Minson & Monin, 2012). The present studies are the first to organize these stereotypes into a comprehensive model and develop a reliable scale to measure them. ...
People have both positive and negative stereotypes about vegans. We developed a tool to measure them, examined self/other correlates. In press, Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.
... While Cole and Morgan (2011) argued that animal rights are the primary rationale for veganism, evidence suggests that personal, health-centred lifestyle drivers (White 2018) have been foregrounded as veganism has mainstreamed (Pendergrast 2016;Overend 2019;Pirani and Fegitz 2019). Indeed, MacInnis and Hodson (2015) suggested that non-vegans are more likely to accept health than animal rights as a motivation for veganism (O'Neill et al. 2019). ...
The increasing visibility of veganism and plant-based eating makes it timely for environmental geographers to critically engage with these unfolding debates. In this review, we unpack the complex socio-environmental entanglements of contemporary vegan food practices (VFPs), drawing on food geography literature to reflect on the extent to which veganism can, and does, challenge and transform the hegemonic industrial globalised food system. We consider the productive conversations to be had with sustainability, food sovereignty , food justice and vegetal geographies in promoting the collective potential of VFPs beyond the indi-vidualisation of mainstreamed, 'plant-based' business-as-usual; re-centring production, hitherto relatively invisible in the hegemonic consideration of veganism as just consumption praxis; and engaging with 'multi-elemental' plant ethics. This offers a cross-pollination of ideas through a focus on the geographies of veganism, which promotes the development of relational, placed and scaled analyses of vegan identities, experiences and practices while also bridging the intradisciplinary silos within environmental geography. Engaging with the geographies of veganism offers a timely and grounded lens to critically interrogate key contemporary debates around diverse knowledges, sustainability and justice. As such, the alternative ways of doing, being and relating offered by VFPs show real potential for hopeful, responsive and constructive research.
... It is to be noted that the dilemma here is about saving face (Greenebaum, 2012) when promoting veg*nism. Cole & Morgan (Cole & Morgan, 2011) also introduced the term 'Vegaphobia' for the discrimination veg*ns face and how the derogation of veg*ns helps normalize unethical violence on non-humans. Fordnonnell et al (2024) have similarly shown veg*ans' attempts at advocating changes to diet are routinely seen as moralistic and so are not taken-up. ...
Research has largely examined how climate change is seen to have an impact on eating practices, namely the promotion of a vegetarian diet in the Euro-American and other WEIRD contexts. Here, we examine these issues in India, where championing vegetarianism closely intersects with casteism. Social psychologists have argued that preference for a meat or plant-only diet is negotiated in the face of concerns over animal harm. We then examine another dilemma where promoting vegetarianism is seen as advocating for marginalization and oppression of caste groups. Using discursive and rhetorical psychology we examined interactions on Reddit where promoting vegetarianism was challenged for its casteism, creating a dilemma. Findings show that, first, users constructed and negotiated the uniqueness of the Indian context for promoting vegetarianism, and second, those promoting vegetarianism did not consider casteism as problematic and endorsed the marginalization of meat-eaters. Users’ constructions of the context were made in ways to negotiate responsibility for the climate crisis in challenging the imposition of vegetarianism. The findings then show that the salience of context in which specific forms of diet are promoted as a response to the climate crisis is central to how these forms of promotion are taken-up. These findings are discussed in relation to research on promoting vegetarianism and management of prejudice in contemporary social psychology.
... Towards the end of 2007, UK newspapers engaged in a trend of discrediting vegans, branding them with various stereotypes, including portraying them as hostile extremists. Cole and Morgan (2011) interpreted this phenomenon in UK national newspapers as "vegaphobia," viewing it as evidence of the cultural reproduction of speciesism. Additionally, the researchers emphasized that these media narratives separated veganism from discussions about the rights of nonhuman animals. ...
Veganism is a philosophy of life that centres on animal rights and freedom. However, it has been transformed into a trendy lifestyle through various approaches, such as promoting healthy living. The increasing number of vegans worldwide and the rising vegan product market are driving veganism towards a framework that excludes animal slavery and exploitation. Similarly, the significant growth in the number of vegans in Turkey is prompting companies to increase their interest in vegan products and services. This study examines the types of profiles using the #veganol (#govegan) tag and the relationship between content and capitalist commercial companies. In this context, content analysis was conducted on 273 Instagram posts with the #veganol tag shared by users between April 2023 and 2024. According to the research results, a significant amount of vegan-related content using the tag supports capitalist consumption and focuses mainly on veganism in terms of food. However, both commercial companies and a significant portion of users tend to separate veganism from the context of animal rights and animal freedom. This study critically discusses the rapidly growing plant-based industries in the context of digital communication and activism with an interdisciplinary approach.
... Specifically, veg*ns motivated for ethical (e.g., (non)human animal welfare) and environmental reasons were perceived more negatively than those motivated by personal health (MacInnis & Hodson, 2017). Despite persisting toward veg*ns, anti-vegan sentiment is particularly potent for vegans (Aguilera-Carnerero & Carretero-Gonzalèz, 2021;Cole & Morgan, 2011). In a study of social media data from an anti-vegan community, it was found that users perceived vegans as emotional, inflexible, and militant (Gregson et al., 2022). ...
Veg*ns of color continue to be underrepresented with their health less understood in veg*n scholarship. As intersectionality and health outcomes remain an understudied focus in anti-veg*n scholarship, the concealable stigmatized identity (CSI) framework offers a way to identify the link between stigmatization and health outcomes for VOC. Using the CSI framework, the paper provides a review of multilevel manifestations of anti-veg*n stigmatization in previous and current veg*n scholarship. The paper offers future directions for researchers to examine stigmatization and its impact on VOC. Recommendations are provided to generate knowledge about the experiences and health of VOC.
... Instead, much of the work has investigated how ridicule is used to intervene in social, cultural, and political controversies in media and popular culture. Some of this work focuses on destructive uses and toxic effects of ridicule, like studies showing how habits of ridicule in the media are harming the culture or the moral order (Lichter & Farnsworth 2019;Wodak, Culpeper, & Semino 2021;Jenks 2022), and those revealing how it is used to marginalize vulnerable groups (Santa Ana 2009;Cole & Morgan 2011;Eriksson 2015;Breazu 2022). Other studies present ridicule as an instrument of activism, showing how, for instance, social media users ridicule public officials and public policies in order to challenge ignorance and oppression (Zappavigna 2019(Zappavigna , 2022Dynel 2021;Al Zidjaly 2022;Mould 2022). ...
Ridicule is often understood as an instrument used by an agent to accomplish a goal. This article, however, investigates ridicule as an indexical phenomenon, a social meaning activated for certain participants in particular situations. Through a detailed analysis of interviews with a scientist, this study shows how storytelling, stance-taking, and entitlement practices help shape the experience of ridicule and the situations where it occurs. The scientist experiences a joke about her research as ridicule when it is reported in the news but experiences the same joke as rapport when it is told by colleagues in the lab. The article demonstrates that the meanings and purposes of humor do not inhere in jokes, and joking rights do not inhere in people; they are negotiated and accomplished in interaction. Drawing on an indexical understanding of context, it further shows how the experience of situations shapes and is shaped by discourse. (Narrative, stance, entitlement, indexicality, humor, literacy, scientific popularization)*
... Zavestno zavračanje uživanja mesa je star pojav (Spencer 2002;Stuart 2008;Fox 1999;James 2020), ki ostaja aktualen tudi v sodobnih zahodnih družbah, tako kot prehranska izbira in z njo povezane prakse, kot tudi kot odraz specifičnih vrednot in etik (Maurer 2002;Iacobbo in Iacobbo 2006;Laisney 2014;Puskar-Pasewicz 2010;Hansen in Lykke 2021). Ob tem pa zbuja raznovrstne, pogosto odklonilne in celo sovražne odzive (Cole in Morgan 2011ain 2011bSneijder in te Molder 2009;MacInnis in Hodson 2017;Bohm in dr. 2016). ...
Članek predstavlja analizo rezultatov študije o vegetarijanstvu in veganstvu ter njuni splošni percepciji, opravljene na reprezentativnem vzorcu polnoletnih prebivalcev Slovenije. Po statistično podprti oceni pogostosti tovrstnih prehranskih izbir in motivov ter demografske strukture vegetarijancev in veganov se v osrednjem delu osredotoči na percepcijo in odnos splošne populacije do tovrstnih idej in praks. Ta odnos je prevladujoče skeptičen, argumenti za vegetarijanstvo in veganstvo splošne populacije ne prepričajo, do teh prehranskih praks je pretežno odklonilna. S podrobnejšo analizo izluščimo tri distinktivne skupine anketirancev: skoraj polovica je do vegetarijanstva in veganstva izrazito odklonilna, petina jim je rahlo naklonjena, tretjina pa je nekje vmes. Ključni dejavniki, ki skupine razlikujejo med seboj, so starost, izobrazba, socialni položaj anketirancev, njihovo zadovoljstvo z življenjem, odnos do politike in demokracije ter religije in duhovnosti.
The paper presents analysis of the results of a study on vegetarianism and veganism and how they are generally perceived that was conducted on a representative sample of the adult population of Slovenia. Following a statistically-informed assessment of the frequency of these nutrition choices and the motives and demographic structure of vegetarians and vegans, it addresses the perception of and attitudes to such ideas and practices in the population as a whole. This attitude is
largely sceptical; the arguments for vegetarianism and veganism do not convince
the general population, and the associated practices are overwhelmingly rejected.
Further analysis reveals three distinct groups: almost half the respondents hold
strongly negative views concerning vegetarianism and veganism, one-fifth slightly
favourable views, and one-third views that lie somewhere in between. The key
factors that differentiate the groups are age, education, social status, satisfaction
with life, attitudes towards politics and democracy, religion and spirituality.
... In a country in which meat has been a popular food intake for the general population, vegans often experience multiple challenges to find plant-based food sources, vegan/vegan menu-serving restaurants, and a community (Calarco, 2014); Fiestas-Flores, & Pyhälä, 2018;Hirschler, 2011). To the most extent, both vegans must go against society's conventions on meat consumption in their routines (Andreatta, 2015); Cole & Morgan, 2011). However, they only truly embraced their vegan ideology as they have a robust set of convictions about not eating meat products (Greenebaum, 2018;Oliver, 2021). ...
... The ethics of representation of nonhuman animals could include the representation of animal liberation/rights activists by considering how stereotypes, ridiculization, mockery and criminalization of animal advocates indirectly damages the legitimacy given to animal ethics, anti-speciesism and veganism (e.g. Best & Nocella II, 2004;Cole & Morgan, 2011). ...
In this chapter, we first review key concepts of the critical animal studies field such as oppression, intersectionality, and total liberation. From these ideas we consider the role of media in perpetuating the oppression of minoritized groups, particularly through cultural violence (Galtung, 1990), which legitimises other forms of violence and injustice. We argue that communication research can contribute to challenging biased hegemonic representations and show how diverse methodologies and perspectives have been used empirically for the case of nonhuman animals. We briefly explore the potential of the ethics of representation, frame analysis, critical discourse analysis, (audio)visual analysis and the political economy of communication.
... Vegans are a minority group in a marketplace that prioritises mainstream norms for non-vegans (Greenebaum, 2012). Globally, popular media perpetuates an overwhelmingly 'vegaphobic' discourse (Cole and Morgan, 2011), framing vegans as 'killjoys' in their attempt to challenge norms of animals as consumable objects (Twine, 2014). These representations perpetuate stereotypes of vegans as deviant to social norms and maintain humans' dominion over animals. ...
This study examines how consumers navigate their spiritual needs for transcendence in everyday consumption. While extant literature shows that both spiritual utilities and tensions emerge in sacred consumption, we build on and extend this research by illuminating how consumers navigate sacralisation and problematise profane consumption objects and practices. We employed Mary Douglas's pollution theory to examine how consumers navigate cultural meanings of purity and transgressions. Through a qualitative study of vegan fashion consumption, we found that consumers negotiate the meaning of purity to govern everyday consumption practices in ways that resemble characteristics of religious institutions (e.g. faith and doctrines). Vegan consumers tolerate consumption transgressions through practices and rituals to sustain their faith within what is regarded as a polluted marketplace. Our study contributes to a novel perspective on consumer spirituality in regulating sacred and secular consumption and moralising relationships with the material world.
... Barriers to veg*an in France include the cultural traditions, negative stereotype of vegans as militant and commercial influences protecting entrenched agricultural practices (Cole and Morgan 2011). To improve the adoption of veg*an products, there is a need to address common barriers across countries and those specific to national values and cultures. ...
... For example, Minson and Monin (2012) found that omnivores tended to view vegetarians more negatively than positively. Cole and Morgan (2011) found that vegans were portrayed negatively in British newspapers, to the extent they used the term 'Veganphobia' to describe the portrayal. De Groeve et al. (2021) found that veg*ns were seen as more moralistic and less socially attractive than non-veg*ns. ...
... The media often contributes to exacerbating this view. For example, Cole and Morgan (2011), who studied the representation of veganism in UK newspapers, found that veganism was portrayed as "contrary to common sense" because it fell outside the dominant discourses on animal exploitation. Not only did the newspapers tend to discredit veganism, but vegans were also stereotyped as "ascetics, faddists, sentimentalists, or in some cases, hostile extremists" (p. ...
Animal advocacy is a complex phenomenon. As a social movement encompassing diverse moral stances and lifestyle choices, veganism and vegetarianism (veg*) are at its core, and animal testing raises as a notably contentious issue within its members. This paper addresses this critical topic. Employing data from an international quantitative survey conducted between June and July 2021, our research explores how ethical vegans and vegetarians responded during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparing the experiences and choices between the two groups, we aimed to understand the variances in attitudes and behaviors in the face of an ethical dilemma, highlighting the interplay between personal beliefs and social pressures in times of a health crisis. Our findings reveal stark contrasts in how vegans and vegetarians navigated the pandemic; vegans displayed less conformity yet experienced a significant compromise of their ethical values, particularly in their overwhelming acceptance of vaccination. This study enhances the field of veg* research and social movement studies by exploring how a social crisis shapes members’ behaviors and perspectives. Our findings also contribute to a better understanding of the challenges and prejudices that a minority group such as vegans may face and how they cope with the pressure to go against the mainstream at a time when society is polarized by a single discourse that goes against their moral values.
... İlk kez sosyolog Cole ve Morgen (2011) tarafından kullanılan veg*n karşıtlığı/nefreti (vegaphobia/veganphobia), veg*nlara ve veg*nlığa yönelik önyargılar ve aşağılayıcı tasvirler olarak tanımlanır. Bu gruplar yazılı ve görsel medya platformlarında, dizi ve filmlerde aşağılanıp alaya alınmakta ve sıklıkla olumsuz sosyal temsillerle karakterize edilmektedir: ikiyüzlü, saldırgan, sorumsuz, düşman, dogmatik, militan, insan düşmanı, geçici hevesleri olan, aşırı duygusal, terörist… (Cole ve Morgan, 2011;Gregson ve ark., 2022;Brookes ve Chalıpnik, 2023). Azınlık grupların medya organlarında sistematik biçimde olumsuz temsil edilmesi bu gruplara yönelik negatif tutumların meydana gelmesine zemin hazırlamaktadır. ...
Bu bölümde sosyal psikolojide son zamanlarda ele alınmaya başlanan türcülük (hayvanlara yönelik önyargı ve ayrımcılıklar) konusu anlatılacaktır.Türcülük ile diğer ayrımcılık biçimleri arası ilişkiler, türcülüğün nasıl meşrulaştırıldığı ve türcülüğü reddeden gruplara yönelik tutumlar ilgili bölümün temel başlıklarını oluşturmaktadır.
... There are stigmas and stereotypes attached to vegetarianism and vegetarians in traditional media, such as being marginalized, vilified, and demonized, which research has summarized as vegaphobia (Cole & Morgan, 2011;White, 2018). The rise of social media, which has grabbed more attention and the topic of food from traditional media, has promoted both the mainstreaming and the de-stigmatization of vegetarianism (Estok, 2021;Lundahl, 2020;Phua et al., 2019). ...
The shift to a vegetarian diet has multiple benefits, including the promotion of public health, sustainability, and animal welfare. Despite these advantages, vegetarian food choices often provoke controversy, particularly on social media platforms. On International Vegetarian Day 2021, renowned Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu endorsed a documentary titled “Vegetarian” on Weibo, igniting widespread discussion among Chinese netizens. Considering China’s deep cultural and practical roots in vegetarianism, the predominantly negative response to the documentary was surprising. This study employs frame analysis to dissect the portrayal of vegetarianism in the documentary, utilizing topic modeling based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation and sentiment analysis to examine over 26,000 related comments. Our findings indicate that the documentary predominantly utilizes health and ethical frames to represent vegetarianism, with a greater emphasis on ethical considerations. Topic modeling of the comments uncovered 14 topics that reflect netizens’ dissatisfaction with various facets of the vegetarian advocacy presented in the documentary. Moreover, the comments reveal three primary strategies netizens use to justify meat consumption and alleviate cognitive dissonance: rationalization of meat eating, skepticism towards vegetarianism, and resistance to the advocacy message of “Vegetarian”. The results imply that for vegetarian advocacy to be more effective, it should align with local everyday concerns, food culture, and the current stage of social development.
... As such, they are often met with resentment and can elicit irritation in those who consume animal products (De Groeve et al., 2021;Dhont & Hodson, 2014;Rothgerber, 2014). Indeed, prejudicial views toward vegans have prevailed for many decades (Iacobbo & Iacobbo, 2004) and appear often in popular media (Cole & Morgan, 2011;Ragusa et al., 2014). Impressions of vegans as moralistic (e.g., self-righteous, opinionated, judgmental) and extreme (e.g., militant, overbearing) account for much of antipathy and discrimination against them (De Groeve et al., 2021), which is consistent with the idea that vegans pose a symbolic or ideological threat to omnivores. ...
... 93 For example, one study of the media discourse surrounding veganism in the UK found that the few, less-negative narratives that emerged from the analysis "relegate[ed] veganism to a "lifestyle" issue." 94 The authors of the study found little evidence of narratives around ethical non-violence or anti-speciesism in the newspaper articles in their sample (two motivations for being vegan that could be interpreted as political in nature). Another study found that for meat-eaters, the key reasons reported that might persuade them to become vegan are all related to diet or one's personal situation (e.g., having a vegan partner), 95 arguably suggesting that they view veganism as predominantly a lifestyle or dietary matter. ...
Consumers increasingly prefer lattes using alternative milk from plant-based sources. This study aims to find the factors affecting consumer intention to purchase lattes using alternative milk from plant-based sources and to compare the links between the factors and purchase intentions depending on two labels, “vegan” and “plant-based.” An online, scenario-based experiment was conducted with a between-subjects design (plant-based: n=268, vegan: n=265), followed by a survey. In both groups, the results show that the perceived benefits positively affect purchase intention, but the perceived barrier (i.e., vegetarian stigma) did not. Perceived benefits and preference were higher when showing a “plant-based latte” label focusing on the presence of plant-based ingredients than when showing a “vegan latte” label focusing on the absence of animal-based ingredients. For the label “vegan latte,” even if consumers are non-vegan, the higher their food curiosity, food snobbery, and food variety-seeking tendency, the higher their purchase intention. It suggests to marketers and menu developers what needs to be highlighted and which consumers to target to boost sales of latte using alternative milk. The findings emphasize the potential for labels to promote the purchase intention of alternative lattes, offering a strategy for changing consumer behavior.
Some vegans and animal welfare advocates have placed their faith in the free market as the best way to mitigate the suffering of animals exploited by humans. However, capitalism is fundamentally inimical to the interests of animals. Since the only value that truly matters under capitalist relations is exchange value, animal exploiters seek ways to reduce their costs and to render production more efficient, without regard for the suffering inflicted on animals or for the devastating ecological consequences of commodity production. The capitalist state meanwhile serves the interests of the animal industry. In the context of these relations, veganism has an ambiguous or contradictory status. On the one hand, veganism is best understood as an ethical and political response to systemic contradictions in capitalist food production. On the other hand, because veganism is construed “voluntaristically,” that is, as individuals exercising their “lifestyle choices” as consumers, it is unintelligible to the public as a movement of collective action and universal liberation. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that individual choices in the marketplace alone can change deeply embedded economic and social structures. Existing definitions of the term “veganism,” for example, as conduct-descriptive or as a tactic akin to traditional boycotts, are thus incomplete, underscoring strategic weaknesses in the animal advocacy movement. A more plausible vegan politics would be explicitly anti-speciesist as well as anti-capitalist.
Research shows that veganism is associated with many benefits, including those related to physical health and the environment. However, veganism also comes with disadvantages, such as stigma. Stigma refers to the process by which individuals are negatively labeled based on certain characteristics, identities, or statuses that they possess, and as a result, are negatively treated and evaluated by others. For vegans, stigma results from being identified as a member of the vegan social category and can be traced to culturally shared assumptions about what vegans do, who they are, how they think, and with whom they associate. In this chapter, I detail these sources of vegan stigma and highlight the consequences (and mechanisms producing such consequences) that may influence vegans’ (and non-vegans’) daily lives. I also discuss the methodological and empirical gaps in this area of study, outlining several promising areas for future research on the topic.
This study investigates the negative perceptions (veganphobia) held by consumers toward vegan diets and fashion and aims to foster a genuine acceptance of ethical veganism in consumption. The textual data web-crawled Korean online posts, including news articles, blogs, forums, and tweets, containing keywords such as "contradiction," "dilemma," "conflict," "issues," "vegan food" and "vegan fashion" from 2013 to 2021. Data analysis was conducted through text mining, network analysis, and clustering analysis using Python and NodeXL programs. The analysis revealed distinct negative perceptions regarding vegan food. Key issues included the perception of hypocrisy among vegetarians, associations with specific political leanings, conflicts between environmental and animal rights, and contradictions between views on companion animals and livestock. Regarding the vegan fashion industry, the eco-friendliness of material selection and design processes were seen as the pivotal factors shaping negative attitudes. Furthermore, the study identified a shared negative perception regarding vegan food and vegan fashion. This negativity was characterized by confusion and conflicts between animal and environmental rights, biased perceptions linked to specific political affiliations, perceived self-righteousness among vegetarians, and general discomfort toward them. These factors collectively contributed to a broader negative perception of vegan consumption. In conclusion, this study is significant in understanding the complex perceptions and attitudes that consumers hold toward vegan food and fashion. The insights gained from this research can aid in the design of more effective campaign strategies aimed at promoting vegan consumerism, ultimately contributing to a more widespread acceptance of ethical veganism in society.
In this article, we examine the expressions of veganism on Facebook, a main social media platform worldwide, through a combination of classic qualitative social science and computational methods. Building on a foundational typology proposed by Jessica Greenebaum, we adopt Weber’s ‘ideal types’ to analyze a broad range of online vegan expressions, using Max Reinert’s algorithm to identify distinct ‘lexical worlds’ of vegan discourses in 200,000 vegan-related messages published over a decade (2010–2020). Our analysis leads to a nuanced typology based on individual versus collective focus and inward versus outward orientation, uncovering four primary functions of social media in veganism: self-documentation and resource sharing, advocacy and education, identity and community formation, and support and mobilization. The research also advances methodological approaches in social media analysis by integrating traditional qualitative insights with computational Big Data techniques.
We examine the role of prejudice and experimentation in the evaluation of a nonmainstream product. We conduct a randomized controlled experiment where participants evaluate a plant-based product. We vary (i) whether they can taste the product, (ii) whether the tasting is blind, and (iii) the timing of when they are informed that the product is plant-based. We find that blind and nonblind tasting significantly raise taste evaluations. However, blind experimentation is associated with the lowest willingness to pay. In short, blinding does not help overcome prejudice in contrast to findings in labor economics in the context of hiring decisions.
Previous research suggests that people hold both positive and negative stereotypes of vegans, but little is known about the specific content of those stereotypes. In two studies (total N = 2,027), we identified the structure of meat-eaters’ stereotypes of vegans and developed a scale to measure them. Stereotypes of vegans assorted into three positive (compassionate, healthy, and self-disciplined) and three negative (unconventional, condescending, and unhealthy) dimensions. Meat-eaters perceived vegans more positively when they understood their motivations for their diet, were familiar with vegans, and shared their concerns for the environment. In contrast, meat-eaters who perceived vegans more negatively were more conservative, had a strong meat-eating identity, and were highly motivated to eat meat. Whereas most attitudes predicted overall positive and negative evaluations of vegans, some predicted specific stereotypes of vegans. This model and scale provide a foundation for vegan stereotype research and for improving intergroup relations between meat-eaters and vegans.
Objetivo: analizar los argumentos y fuentes sobre el veganismo/vegetarianismo en 2022
presentes en la prensa mexicana, con el objetivo de comprobar cómo se retratan estos
movimientos. Metodología: aplicando el análisis de contenido, los argumentos se clasificaron
por temas de forma inductiva, identificando las fuentes. Resultados: salud, sostenibilidad y
bienestar animal son los temas más vinculados a estos movimientos, retratados de forma
positiva. El veganismo tuvo más protagonismo y la redacción de los periódicos fue la fuente
principal, seguida de celebridades, fuentes científicas y activistas. Limitaciones: el análisis se
limita a la prensa mexicana. Conclusiones: se aporta una perspectiva latinoamericana a estudios
sobre veganismo/vegetarianismo en los medios. La cobertura del veganismo/vegetarianismo por
parte de la prensa mexicana en 2022 fue predominantemente positiva, por lo que no se repite el
patrón observado en análisis anteriores de prensa de países anglosajones. El veganismo parece
estar más en auge que el vegetarianismo.
Purpose
This study aims to examine how veganism is “seen” by young adult non-vegan consumers and how prevailing attitudes reinforce or challenge stigmas around veganism.
Design/methodology/approach
Photovoice methodology was used to explore young non-vegan consumers’ attitudes and beliefs towards veganism. Data was collected from students studying advertising at a major university in Australia, who produced images and narratives reflective of their own attitudes towards veganism. Polytextual thematic analysis of the resulting visual data was then undertaken to reveal the dominant themes underpinning participants’ attitudes. Participant narratives were then reviewed to confirm whether the ascribed meaning aligned with participants’ intended meaning.
Findings
Participant images were reflective of first, how they saw their world and their place within it, which showed the interplay and interconnectedness between humans, animals and nature, and second, how they saw vegans within this world, with both positive and negative attitudes expressed. Interestingly, vegans were simultaneously admired and condemned. By situating these attitudes along a spectrum of moral evaluation, bounded by stigmatisation and moral legitimacy, participants saw vegans as being either Radicals, Pretenders, Virtuous or Pragmatists. For veganism to become more widely accepted by non-vegans, there is an important role to be played by each vegan type.
Originality/value
This study offers a more nuanced understanding of how and why dissociative groups, such as vegans, become stigmatised, which has implications for messaging and marketing practices around veganism and associated products/services. Future research could use a similar methodology to understand why other minority groups in society are stereotyped and stigmatised, which has broader social implications.
Science can provide accurate information to society to inform decision-making and behavior. One contemporary topic in which the science is very clear, yet behavioral change has lagged, is climate change mitigation. Climate change scientists use evidence-based research to advocate to the public to adopt emission-reducing behaviors in various sectors such as transportation and food. However, scientists themselves often do not change their own behaviors according to the scientific consensus. We present a case study of a group of natural sciences PhD students, who, when presented with evidence and an opportunity for a behavioral change with implications for climate change mitigation, demonstrated defensive reactions that would undoubtedly frustrate these same scientists if they were doing public outreach about their own work. Our goal is to raise awareness that we scientists do not always practice what we preach but could perhaps overcome this by understanding the defense mechanisms that impede meaningful change.
The aims of this case study chapter is to educate students and scholars about vegan fashion, empowering them to reflect upon and discuss the key issues, and engendering a greater engagement with animal welfare issues as future PhD students, practitioners, policy-makers, or simply pro-active consumers. It is intended for an academic readership—from undergraduate students through PhD candidates to research and teaching staff—however, it does not focus solely on academic literature or theoretical issues. It draws on a wide range of sources, demonstrating the potential for (and emerging problems faced by) vegan fashion through newspapers, market research reports, and peer-reviewed academic articles. It is organised into three main parts. First, it introduces why vegan fashion is an important topic. Second, it defines what vegan fashion is, distinguishing it from similar terms like ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘plant-based’. Third, the chapter poses three questions to stimulate debate and discussion in this area: one, the extent to which the growth of the vegan fashion industry helps those trying to promote issues of animal justice and welfare; two, what the most important differences are between vegan fashion consumers, and the reasons for this; three, how vegan fashion may be (mis)used by offsetting less ethical activities elsewhere, but also how vegans values may be offloaded by fashion brands pursuing other, more anthropocentric ethical objectives. Fourth, and finally, the chapter concludes by calling scholars and students alike to pursue real-world change for the benefit of animals. After making the case for considering, and perhaps even choosing, vegan fashion, it returns to the initial question and turns it over—from ‘why vegan fashion?’ to ‘vegan fashion—why not?’
Veganism is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. In addition to being viewed as a dietary choice, it is also studied in various disciplines as a cultural movement, lifestyle, or even as a climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. Due to its complexity, there is a growing interest in studying veganism through sociological lenses. The aim of this research is to provide a systematic overview of the current sociological literature on veganism. This analysis follows the PRISMA systematic literature review protocol and includes academic articles published in English between 2000 and 2022. The study has been organised around 3 main research questions to reveal the scope and intensity of sociological research on veganism, its methodological aspects, and the conceptualisation of veganism. The results suggest an emerging discourse of veganism as a lifestyle movement and the orientation of studies toward qualitative research. A variety of veganism concepts used in the sociological literature indicate the potential of different strands of research.
Veganism can be defined as a sociocultural identity that goes beyond a prevalent dietary choice. The social psychology and ideology of groups opposing veganism as a published sociocultural identity are significant areas of inquiry within social sciences. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a phenomenological discourse analysis of comments made by anti-vegan individuals regarding vegans on Ekşi Sözlük, an online forum. The language, style, discourse, and practices employed by vegans in their day-to-day lives are interpreted diversely by anti-vegan groups. These interpretations have transformed into a collective social phenomenon instead of just being a conflicting discourse. To comprehend veganism or vegan culture from a sociological perspective, it is crucial to examine the discourse organizations of the opposing groups. In these analyses, vegans are commonly characterised by anti-vegan individuals as: It is important to use clear, concise, and necessary information with a logical flow and causal connection between statements. The use of clear, objective, and value-neutral language is prioritized, including high-level standard language with consistent technical terms. Academic conventions have been followed, including maintaining consistency in title format and author and institution formatting. The formal register and grammatical correctness have been prioritized, including avoiding contractions, colloquial words, informal expressions, and unnecessary jargon. Phrases such as 'the results indicate' and 'the evidence suggests' have been avoided to avoid bias. The text has been thoroughly checked for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. This article sheds light on how emotions influence individuals' attitudes, behaviours and social interactions regarding veganism and anti-veganism. The aim of this article is to gain a sociological understanding of this context and promote mutual understanding.
This article explores the potential ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) can support veganism, a lifestyle that aims to promote the protection of animals and also avoids the consumption of animal products for environmental and health reasons. The first part of the article discusses the technical requirements for utilizing AI technologies in the mentioned field. The second part provides an overview of potential use cases, including facilitating consumer change with the help of AI, technologically augmenting undercover investigations in factory farms, raising the efficiency of nongovernment organizations promoting plant-based lifestyles, and so forth. The article acknowledges that the deployment of AI should not happen in a “solutionist” manner, meaning to always consider nontechnical means for achieving desired outcomes. However, it is important for organizations promoting veganism to realize the potential of modern data-driven tools and to merge and share their data to reach common goals.
Preface Acknowledgments 1. What Is Vegetarianism? And Who Are the Vegetarians? 2. Vegetarian Diets and the Health Professions: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Issues 3. Charting the Contemporary Vegetarian Movement in the Social Movement Field 4. Vegetarianism: Expressions of Ideology in Vegetarian Organizations 5. The Beliefs and Strategies of Vegetarian Movement Leaders 6. Organizational Strategy in Action: Promoting a Vegetarian Collective Identity 7. The Food Industry's Role in Promoting and Gaining Acceptance for Vegetarian Diets
This article reports the results of the re-analysis of a substantial set of survey based quantitative data relating to food beliefs, practices and preferences. The particular focus of attention was upon gender contrasts. Several statistically significant differences between men and women were identified. These differences occurred in such areas as views on food and health, the ethical dimensions of food production and food selection, nutritional attitudes and choices, dietary change, food work and body image. Two distinctive patterns emerged, which the authors termed “virtuous” and “robust”, the former exhibiting attitudes more typical of women, and the latter attitudes more typical of men.
Vegetarianism has long been associated in popular imagination with pacifism and nonviolence due to the prevalence of ethical motives underlying it. If this is so ethically motivated vegetarians might be expected to be more sensitive about and opposed to acts involving violence than either vegetarians motivated by health concerns or the meat-eating population in general. This article seeks to test such an expectation, reporting findings from a study using in-depth interviews with vegetarians variously motivated by ethical as well as health and other concerns, and with meat eaters. Respondents were asked their views about capital punishment, nuclear weapons, abortion, boxing, foxhunting, shooting and angling for sport. The data are used to assess theories of vegetarianism that emphasize meat as a symbol of violence and/or of domination and oppression. The findings present a varied and fairly complex picture with opposition to foxhunting and "blood" sports being considerably greater than among other vegetarians and meat eaters, to capital punishment and nuclear weapons less clearly so and to boxing and abortion not noticeably different. In fact a strong anti-authoritarian and anti-regulatory orientation among ethically motivated vegetarians appears to override potential opposition in these cases.
We are familiar with Black Liberation, Gay Liberation, and a variety of other movements. With Women’s Liberation some thought we had come to the end of the road. Discrimination on the basis of sex, it has been said, is the last form of discrimination that is universally accepted and practised without pretence, even in those liberal circles which have long prided themselves on their freedom from racial discrimination. But one should always be wary of talking of ‘the last remaining form of discrimination’. If we have learned anything from the liberation movements, we should have learned how difficult it is to be aware of the ways in which we discriminate until they are forcefully pointed out to us. A liberation movement demands an expansion of our moral horizons, so that practices that were previously regarded as natural and inevitable are now seen as intolerable.
Critics have argued for a better understanding of power in transformational learning. This study explored the power of normative ideologies in the transformational learning of ethical vegans. The findings indicate that Mezirow's transformation theory does not adequately account for power relations in this case of transformational learning, power was central to the transformational learning of ethical vegans, relations of power operated across interrelated scales of organization and time, normative ideologies regulated emancipatory praxis over time, and transformational learning should be viewed from a more holistic perspective.
This article is based on a six-year survey of first year undergraduates and their meat consumption. The main focus is vegetarianism and the declining consumption of red meat over the past two decades. The levels of meat consumption and avoidance were analysed by gender, father’s occupation, voting intention and the reasons given for reduction/avoidance. The results found that the majority of vegetarians were women, although they were also the majority of the sample. Age, political inclination and social class appear to have had little bearing on meat consumption. There is also the suggestion that vegetarianism has reached a plateau. A wide range of further studies is suggested.
This paper reports the findings of an 11-year longitudinal study of the food preferences of first-year social science undergraduates at a UK university. Argues that this predominantly young and female response group constitutes a “critical case” that can be used to assess broader trends in meat consumption and meat avoidance. Relatively high levels of meat avoidance (in terms of reduced consumption or vegetarianism) were detected, although in recent years the trend appears to be away from avoidance and towards an increase in the reported inclination to eat meat. An attempt is made to interpret the findings of the study within the broader context of long-term shifts in attitudes towards meat consumption in general, and towards beef consumption in particular.
We describe a rather common process that we call moralization, in which objects or activities that were previously morally neutral acquire a moral component. Moralization converts preferences into values, and in doing so influences cross-generational transmission (because values are passed more effectively in families than are preferences), increases the likelihood of internalization, invokes greater emotional response, and mobilizes the support of governmental and other cultural institutions. In recent decades, we claim, cigarette smoking in America has become moralized. We support our claims about some of the consequences of moralization with an analysis of differences between health and moral vegetarians. Compared with health vegetarians, moral vegetarians find meat more disgusting, offer more reasons in support of their meat avoidance, and avoid a wider range of animal foods. However, contrary to our prediction, liking for meat is about the same in moral and health vegetarians.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the dominance of an ascetic discourse of veg*anism in social research literature, and to relate it to a dominant hierarchical ordering of Western diets (to refer collectively to veganism and vegetarianism).
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the extant social research literature on veg*anism was undertaken in order to discern whether a consistent type of descriptive language existed. This facilitated an understanding of the way in which that language is constitutive of research generated understandings of veg*anism.
Findings
An ascetic discourse of veg*anism is dominant in social research. This is reflected in the phraseology used by authors. Typical descriptive terms of a veg*an diet include “strict”, “restrictive”, or “avoidance”. This ascetic discourse reproduces the hierarchical ordering of Western diets such that veg*anism is denigrated and made to seem “difficult” and abnormal.
Research limitations/implications
Veg*anism arguably promises multiple benefits for human, environmental, and nonhuman animal well‐being. The potential to realize those benefits is hampered by the perpetuation of an understanding of veg*anism as an ascetic practice.
Originality/value
This paper provides the first comprehensive examination of the language used to describe veg*anism within social research. It can enhance reflexivity on the part of social researchers interested in veg*anism, and help inform research design. In providing an alternative hedonic discourse of veg*anism, this paper also makes a contribution towards realizing the potential benefits of veg*anism through making it a more attractive dietary practice.
In spite of a growing body of vegetarian literature, there remains a lack of information about how people learn to become vegan. Using qualitative methodology, this research identified a psychological process of how people learn about and adopt veganism. Elements of the process include who I was, catalytic experiences, possible repression of information, an orientation to learn, the decision, learning about veganism, and acquiring a vegan world view. Noteworthy observations include individual and temporal variation in the use of logic and emotion, the centrality of reading, the repression and recollection of undesirable information, and the importance of two types of learning tasks to successful vegans.
This textual analysis examines the representations of farmed animals in national print and broadcast news discourse in over 100 stories published from 2000 to 2003. Findings show these American news media largely support the speciesist status quo by favoring elite viewpoints and failing to provide balance. Although exceptions are provided, news media often objectify nonhuman animals discursively through: 1) commodification, 2) failure to acknowledge their emotional perspectives, and 3) failure to describe them as inherently valuable individuals.
This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study of the dietary beliefs and practices of a ‘snowball sample’ of seventy-six vegetarians and vegans. The dynamics of the process of conversion are examined, along with respondents'accounts of their motives and of the impact of their dietary stance upon their relationships with kin, friends and colleagues. The study's findings, which appear to indicate the central importance of ethical considerations for this particular response group, are set in the context of broader debates concerning the sociological dimensions of the selection or avoidance of specific food items.
The relationship between vegetarianism and the "orthodox" food ideology and the overall food system in the U.K. is complex and ambiguous. Vegetarianism, and a fortiori veganism, appear to represent a direct challenge to orthodox foodways and current production methods. Yet there is some evidence for the incorporation of vegetarianism into the commercial food system, which raises the question of how and why incorporation has occurred.
In recent years, the issue of experimentation upon nonhuman animals has become the subject of media attention. One aspect of the media presentation is the status attributed to claims-makers on either side of the issue. Research suggests that perceived expertise of the source of arguments can play a role in attitudes formed by audiences. This study examines mainstream print and broadcast media presentation of the status of individuals quoted regarding the issue of animal experimentation. Those supporting continued experimentation are significantly more likely to be presented as professionals or experts. Attitude formation is discussed in light of these findings.
In a town in northern Sweden, 3.3% of the 15-year-old adolescents were vegans in 1996. This study describes the process of becoming a vegan among adolescents and interprets the informants' descriptions by constructing categories, which later on were related to relevant theories. Group interviews were conducted with three vegans and in-depth interviews were performed with three other vegan adolescents. The methodology was grounded theory and the adolescents' perceptions were analyzed in the framework of symbolic interactionism. Three types of vegans were identified: the Conformed Vegan, the Organized Vegan, and the Individualistic Vegan. The decision to become a vegan was reported to be influenced by perceived internal reasons such as ethics, health, distaste for meat, and preference for vegetarian food. In addition, friends, family, school, media, and music influenced the decision to become a vegan. The perceived consequences of becoming a vegan were positive as well as negative and differed between the three types of vegans. Veganism as a new type of status passage with specific characteristics was illustrated. No modifications or new properties were discovered that add to the theory of status passage which indicates that the general model is applicable also in a vegan context.
Dietary patterns and nutrient intakes of vegetarians in a nationally representative survey have not been described.
We sought to profile and compare nutrient and food consumption patterns of self-defined vegetarians and nonvegetarians in a representative sample of the US population.
Data from 13 313 participants (age: >/= 6 y) in the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) 1994-1996, 1998 were used to compare vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns. Self-defined vegetarians and nonvegetarians were those who responded positively or negatively, respectively, to the question "Do you consider yourself to be a vegetarian?" The vegetarian and nonvegetarian groups were further characterized as "no meat" or "ate meat" on the basis of a consumption cutoff of 10 g meat/d reported on 2 nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls.
Self-defined vegetarians whose recalls did not include meat represented 0.9% of this nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized persons residing in the United States. Compared with nonvegetarians who ate meat, self-defined vegetarians aged >/= 20 y had lower body mass indexes regardless of whether they ate meat. Diets of self-defined vegetarians tended to be lower in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and higher in fiber than did the diets of nonvegetarians who ate meat. Self-defined vegetarians whose recalls contained no meat consumed more grains, legumes, vegetables (green leafy and yellow), fruit, and wine, whereas those who ate meat consumed more fruit than did nonvegetarians.
Self-defined vegetarians may consume red meat, poultry, or fish. However, their dietary patterns are generally healthier than are those of nonvegetarians.
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