Veganism: Lifestyle or Political Movement? Looking for Relations Beyond Antispeciesism

Abstract

In recent years, various issues related to non-human animals emerged as elements of interest

Becoming vegan: A study of career and habitus

“…On the one hand, although we found a high cultural value of meat consumption (Orellana et al, 2013), surveys estimated that 14% of the adult population is vegetarian, and 4% is vegan (CADEM, 2018). This percentage is low but slightly higher than it is in countries like the United States (Cramer et al, 2017) or Italy (Bertuzzi, 2017), where about 2% of the population or less follow this type of lifestyle. Unfortunately, data in Chile are rare on this matter, and it is not possible to identify whether there has been an increase over time in these percentages.…”

“…The activism presented by the interviewees is multiple and takes place in various spheres (Bertuzzi, 2017). There are forms of traditional activism carried out mainly by those who demonstrate an animalistic motivation.…”

“…Literature indicates that the adoption of veganism could be associated with different elements. Some investigations relate it to the development of animal movements and anti-speciesism (Bertuzzi, 2017; Cherry, 2006). Some authors see veganism as a product of growing environmental concerns linked to the meat industry (Austgulen et al, 2018; Mylan, 2018), criticism of the capitalist system and patriarchy (Adams, 2010), while others consider that the increase in this type of diet is the result of individualistic behaviors (Arppe et al, 2011; Fischler, 2013).…”

The Phenomenon of Veganism: From Diet and Lifestyle to Social Movement

“…R. Šatūnienė (2009), remdamasi Lietuvos pankų subkultūros tyrimo duomenimis, teigia, kad "<...> [Lietuvoje] veganizmas yra individualizuotesnė saviraiška, nes ji siejasi su į gyvūnų teisių apsaugą nukreiptu asmens pasirinkimu, kartais -filosofija, o štai JAV pankai veganizmą sieja su judėjimu" (Šatūnienė 2009: 156). Veganizmo fenomenas dėl tam tikros išraiškos ir bendrų tikslų priskiriamas prie socialinių judėjimų (Cherry 2006; Wrenn 2017), analizuojamas kaip kultūrinis (Cherry 2006) ir politinis judėjimas (Bertuzzi 2017), o tai jau taip pat mezo-ir net makrolygmuo, nes dažnai neapsiriboja vienos valstybės teritorija.…”

Niccolò Bertuzzi. I movimenti animalisti in Italia. Strategie, politiche e pratiche di attivismo - Meltemi ed. (Milano 2018) 253 p.

“…Even veganism is declined in different ways: many followers are not motivated by an ethic concern related to the fate of animals, but by a healthy, environmental, and fashionable choice. 23 Empirical data shows that veganism is increasing, with a larger presence in successful economic areas and in families with children. 24 Although limited to a part of the population, this social change deserves to be taken into account, regardless of whether it is motivated by antispeciesism or other reasons.…”