Values and Vegetarianism: An Exploratory Analysis1 (original) (raw)
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Beliefs and Attitudes toward Vegetarian Lifestyle across Generations
Nutrients, 2010
The objective of the study was to examine whether reasons to adopt vegetarian lifestyle differ significantly among generations. Using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), we identified that 4% of the participants were vegans, 25% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 4% pesco-vegetarians and 67% non-vegetarian. Younger people significantly agreed more with the moral reason and with the environmental reason. People ages 41-60 significantly agreed more with the health reason. There are significant differences across generations as to why people choose to live a vegetarian lifestyle.
Despite decades of promotion, rates of vegetarianism have changed minimally in the U.S. In part due to this slow growth rate, farmed animal advocates are divided about whether encouraging meat elimination or meat reduction (and which type) is best. Following Voltaire’s assertion that the perfect can be the enemy of the good, this research explores whether vegetarianism (the perfect) may be the enemy of the good for realizing advocates’ desired social movement outcomes in American society around meat and farmed animals. This dissertation, drawing on applied sociology and positioned at the intersection of effective altruism, social movement outcomes, the sociology of food, and dietary behaviour change, examines this research question and speaks to whether social movements should ask for intermediate steps or focus on their desired end goal. This dissertation engages with an effective animal advocacy lens—a subset of effective altruism—to study the current and future potential impact of three diets promoted to varying degrees by U.S. advocates: a vegetarian diet, a reduced-meat diet, and a chicken-free diet (per the problem of smaller-bodied animals). Quantitative methods were used to consider how these diets can help this social movement “do the most good,” a key tenet of effective altruism. Data was collected from an online census- balanced cross-sectional sample of 30,000+ U.S. adults provided by Nielsen in 2016. Results showed a reduced-meat diet had the highest prevalence rate among American adults and the largest number of food opinion leaders based on current as well as future potential eating patterns. A reduced-meat diet was the driver for the greatest number of meat-free meals eaten each week and the largest number of adults this is spread amongst, both taking in current and future potential trends. A reduced-meat diet also had the best external perceptions among those who are not restricting their meat consumption. Lived experiences was the one exception, where a vegetarian diet had the best internal experiences among individuals currently eating one of the diets. These findings suggest that there are reasons to infer that a reduced-meat diet may best support an effective animal advocacy approach to U.S. dietary outreach.
Social psychological and structural influences on vegetarian beliefs
Rural Sociology, 1999
This study examines the link between social structural variables (gender, race, education, age, rural childhood), individual social psychology (altruism, self-interest, traditionality, and openness to change), and beliefs about the benefits of vegetarianism (for health, the environment, animals, and world hunger) and self-reported vegetarianism . Data from a random sample of 420 adult U .S . residents showed that 5 .2 percent considered themselves vegetarian . The strongest predictor of vegetarianism as a dietary choice was the belief that vegetarianism is beneficial to the environment . None of the social structural variables had a direct influence on vegetarianism as a dietary choice . Of the four values studied, only altruism and traditional values influenced beliefs about the benefits of vegetarianism . Altruistic values increased, and traditional values decreased, beliefs that vegetarianism is beneficial to health, the environment, farm animals, and world hunger. Blacks were more likely than Whites to adhere to the beliefs that vegetarianism helps prevent cruelty to farm animals, is beneficial to personal health, and is beneficial to the environment . The race differences in beliefs persisted even with controls for values.
Vegetarianism: Identity and experiences as factors in food selection
Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology, 1998
Vegcnarianismis increasil'lQ. .il:l worIcIwIde popularity. While there is an abynciance ofJiterature on the nutritional aspe<lts of yegetaria/:llim there remains a paucity of research by social.~ienti~. onveg~tarl.an beliefs, motives and experienceS.Thisf!8per reports an exploratory study to examliW h(JW tt\eldentltYand experiences Of being vegetarian affected•~selection. This entailed the examinatiOr\of the motives fOr converting to vegetariafll$fJ'lasweuas~QVertirne. Also examined were the lIOtialconstnllntsandsocial supPOrts present fOlP'~lgeta..,. i n ' lrelatiOr\ships, availability ofpre~fc;Iod items,and suppor-=~~=~~. •~~r~~~ys:~m~=~~m:e:e~= '='I==-•••.. /~=U:t~=:~~=a:=~~t~t ime will Ii~~e or~Uatec;lther rnoflves. Vegetarians f1nc:1 botIl.~•. apd.$OppOrt for their foodways. S0Cf81 constraints. .~tomaintainthe centrality of meat irithe strUCture of meals. Moreover, vegetarianism affects socl8l i'8IatIonships.
The value perceived and the sacrifice perceived by vegetarian food consumers
Revista Pensamento Contemporâneo em Administração
This study aimed to identify what are the items that make up the categories of value and sacrifice perceived by the consumer of vegetarian food. It´s an exploratory research and fifteen vegetarians were interviewed through a structured interview script and the data were analyzed by means of content analysis. The results indicate the existence of functional (physical and mental well-being, as well as healthy food), social (perception that being a vegetarian is something positive), emotional (more peaceful feeling, with a clean conscience), conditional (ease of access and variety of vegetarian food) and monetary values for vegetarians. There are also sacrifices, in the same dimensions (functional, social, emotional, conditional and monetary) as nutrients deficiency, incomprehension of other people, perception of "boredom" of vegetarians, among others. This study improves the knowledge of the components of perceived value and perceived sacrifice by the vegetarian consumers, serving as a base for further researches.
Nutrients, 2017
Background: There is a growing trend for vegetarian and vegan diets in many Western countries. Epidemiological evidence suggesting that such diets may help in maintaining good health is rising. However, dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of vegetarians and vegans are not well known. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics of self-reported, adult vegetarians and vegans, compared to meat-eaters, from the French NutriNet-Santé study. Methods: Participants were asked if they were following a specific diet. They were then classified into three self-reported diet groups: 90,664 meat-eaters, 2370 vegetarians, and 789 vegans. Dietary data were collected using three repeated 24-h dietary records. Multivariable polytomic logistic regression models were perfomed to assess the association between the sociodemographic characteristics and type of diet. The prevalence of nutrient intake inadequacy was estimated, by sex and age for micronutrients, as well as by type of self-reported diet. Results: Compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians were more likely to have a higher educational level, whereas vegans had a lower education level. Compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians were more likely to be women, younger individuals, and to be self-employed or never employed rather than managerial staff. Vegetarians and vegans substituted animal protein-dense products with a higher consumption of plant protein-dense products (e.g., soy-based products or legumes). Vegetarians had the most balanced diets in terms of macronutrients, but also had a better adherence to French dietary guidelines. Vegetarians exhibited a lower estimated prevalence of inadequacies for micronutrients such as antioxidant vitamins (e.g., for vitamin E, 28.9% for vegetarian women <55 years of age vs. 41.6% in meat-eaters) while vegans exhibited a higher estimated prevalence of inadequacies for some nutrients, in particular vitamin B12 (69.9% in men and 83.4% in women <55 years of age), compared to meat-eaters. Conclusions: Our study highlighted that, overall, self-reported vegetarians and vegans may meet nutritional recommendations.
Model of the Process of Adopting Vegetarian Diets: Health Vegetarians and Ethical Vegetarians
Journal of Nutrition Education, 1998
Interest in vegetarian diets is growing due to health and animal welfare concerns. This study examined the experiences of individuals who adopted vegetarian diets as adolescents or adults. Nineteen self-identified adult vegetarians, recruited from a vegetarian group in one city using snowball sampling, participated in qualitative interviews. The majority of respondents were well-educated, middle-class adults of European-American backgrounds, although they
Journal of home economics, 2003
The apparent trend in Australia and similar countries towards decreased red meat consumption and increased interest in vegetarian diets has implications for public health, the environment, health education, and home economics educators. A 1999 random survey conducted in South Australia found that 1.5% respondents identified as vegetarian and 7.2% as semivegetarian. Twenty-five per cent of respondents ate red meat less than once a week. Approximately 40% were interested in vegetarianism. The majority of the sample perceived vegetarian diets to have health benefits. Barriers to the consumption of a vegetarian diet included enjoying eating meat and an unwillingness to alter eating habits. An additional survey of vegetarians was conducted to allow comparisons to be made between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Among other differences, vegetarians were more likely to hold universal values than non-vegetarians and to use/trust unorthodox information sources. Approximately 15% of non-vegetarians were found to hold similar beliefs about vegetarianism as vegetarians. These 'prospective vegetarians' were distinct from vegetarians and the remaining omnivores. For example, they were more likely to be female than the remaining omnivores. The findings show that a significant proportion of the population is interested in vegetarianism and that interest in broader plant-based diets, that may contain some meat, is probably higher.