Vegetarianism: Movement Or Moment: Promoting A Lifestyle For Cult Change

by Donna Maurer

This text examines the organizational aspects of vegetarianism from a social science perspective. It tries to explain why the strategies to promote vegetarianism as a movement rather than a personal food choice have not successfully attracted people to adopt a vegetarian identity.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Teri L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic treatment of vegetarianism as a cultural movement that grew strongly in North America in the 1960's and 1970's, and then remained at a stable number of core supporters. The author distills her research among veg groups to define three reasons people become vegetarian: health, ethics, environment. Based on her research, vegetarians are more concerned with health, while vegans focus on the morality of eating animals. As for the future of the movement, she shows that it will be difficult to recruit more activist veg members. On the other hand, over last couple of decades veg food has become much more prevalent, and vegetarians are more social accepted. There are more people who have access to and who eat vegetarian meals, but only a small but stable core are actually vegetarian or vegan. Success? My only criticism of the book is its focus only on North America, with a few mentions of the UK. It seems that we can successfully make the case that veg eating is healthy by pointing to other cultures and societies where vegetarian eating is mainstream. Otherwise a very informative book!

[Vampire-lk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book the sections I read! Though did not really work with my school assignment paper! Less about vegetarians & more about the Ecofeminist & society so great source though not used in paper & not what I consider 'fun read' so once paper shifted focused so did I! Support vegetarian though learned a lot!!!!