Vegetarianism as a Social Identity

Publication date: Available online 20 December 2019Source: Current Opinion in Food ScienceAuthor(s): John B Nezlek, Catherine A ForestellFood choice can be a way for people to express their ideals and identities. In particular, for those who identify as vegetarian, this label is more than just a set of dietary preferences. Choosing to follow a plant-based diet shapes one’s personal and social identity and is likely to influence a person’s values, attitudes, beliefs, and well-being. The available data suggest that vegetarians are more pro-social than omnivores and tend to have more liberal political views. Nevertheless, vegetarians do not appear to be as well-adjusted as omnivores, which may be the result of their status as a social minority. Despite the attention vegetarianism has received, more research is needed to understand the antecedents, correlates, consequences, and socio-cultural contexts of vegetarianism.Graphical abstractConsistent with Rosenfeld & Burrow’s UMVI [5], these nested ovals represent factors that are associated with one’s vegetarian identity. The green oval represents the self and the interconnected nature of one’s identity, values and motivations, the gold oval represents the expression of one’s vegetarian identity, and the surrounding blue and white ovals represent the local and cultural environment in which people live. Throughout, the arrows represent the bidirectional effects these factors have on each other.
Source: Current Opinion in Food Science - Category: Food Science Source Type: research