1. PhD student in Applied Sociology and Social Research Methodology University of Milan-Bicocca (Italy) Does the Revolution Start from the Plate? Veganism between Ethics and Practices Francesca Mininni f.mininni@campus.unimib.it

2. 2 / 18 What is veganism? “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose” (www.vegansociety.com). This project seeks to investigate perspectives on veganism, in particular the complexities of ethical veganism, its philosophy and lifestyle.

3. 3 / 18 What is taken for granted? Animals have always had a relevant role in the lives of humans as a source of food, work, defence, company. The question of animals as members of society has never been systematically addressed. Social thought has tended to emphasize the idea that animals are “outside” the human boundary so they matter only if they are important to us, not being important in their own right. 3

4. 4 / 18 Humans have created an ontological classification humans VS animals which aims to divide the species in order to justify the way in which we treat animals. This anthropocentric conception is based on the assumption of human supremacy over any other living being: from such superiority, emerges a perceived right to dominate and distinguish ourselves from animals in order to preserve our top position within the evolution hierarchy (Calarco 2011).

5. 5 / 18 The notion of “animal-as-other” is reflected in many ways: the worst is the acceptance of animals as a source of food (Joy 2012). Meat eating is now considered a normal part of most western human diets. It is sold to us as a healthy and natural source of protein (Taylor 2013). But is this true? We tend to think of ourselves as animal lovers but who are “animals”? Only pets? Most of us still eat meat and kill animals maintaining the liability of killing, the act of slaughter. Is it still a non-problematic element of our diet?

6. 6 / 18 Humans have different attitudes toward animals according to various criteria (species, use, experience, function). Animal-human interaction is governed by social institutions and the practice of eating meat is one of many ways in which institutions structure this relation. Meat eating is normalized by discourses linked to practices through which humans recreate particular issues (Taylor 2013). It is undeniable that the ways in which society talks about animals both reflect and create the reality of their lives and deaths and the ways in which humans treat them. Society and animals

7. 7 / 18 Sociology of food Food strongly affects social relations: just think about the tension rising when, having a meal, we find someone who eats in a different way or just consider how a particular eating style can condition the choice of friends, partners and, sometimes, job. The choice of a food instead of another affects the everyday lives of people, the environment, and nature (Tuttle 2014).

8. 8 / 18 Nothing is as “everyday” as food: we buy, cook, consume, share it daily. Food represents the interface between culture and nature. It makes us face our biological needs but it is also a ground for a social and cultural meeting point (Douglas 1985; Fischler 1998; Poulain 2008; et al.).

9. 9 / 18 Food is bound to the construction of an individual's identity, a community's identity. The dinner table mirrors the structure of society: every meal is symbolic of social relations according to gender, social class, economy (Goody 1982; Adams 1990; Tanke 2007; et al.). By means of food we communicate where we stand in relation to other human beings, animals, nature, economy (Foer 2010). Food ethics is complicated because it is bound to biographies, social community, traditions, etc. Eating habits create a sense of belonging or social differentiation.

10. 10 / 18 Birth of veg*ism in industrial society In industrial societies, veg*ism has been adopted especially because great quantities of vegetables are accessible due to industrialized and intensive agriculture, the widened possibility of choice in the global market, and capitalism. Also secularization, the advent of modernity and globalization have brought the birth and exploration of alternative eating styles and, furthermore, a rethinking of the animal-human relation (Beardsworth 2004). What are the main reasons to become vegan? Ethical, health, ecological, religious.

11. 11 / 18 Ethical veganism and ethical vegans The abstention from eating animals breaks into the political scene, institutions and relationships among people. Fast diffusion of veganism needs an explanation: about 7% of Italians have made the choice to become vegetarian or vegan (Eurispes report, 2015). Reflecting on the use of animals for human feeding triggers unexpected reactions because it compels us to face the idea of ourselves and the values every person was raised with. It forces us to reflect on the human role in the world and to reason on the liberation from all forms of dominance.

12. 12 / 18 The dinner table is the place of resistance for vegans, where the rules of hegemonic culture are reproposed (Cole 2014). Being vegan is connected to identity (Tanke 2007). The misconception that being vegan is an individual choice is common (Jenkins and Twine 2014), but this idea perpetuates human control over nature and the suffering and death of living beings. Veganism has/is a social dimension.

13. 13 / 18 Veganism denotes a philosophy, a way of being and living aimed at excluding all forms of exploitation of animals. It can condition the dynamics of society and it is a contribution to the transformation of shared beliefs. The mindset underlying meatism is dominance over others. Eating meat is the outcome of an oppressive system rooted in the exploitation of the weakest (Joy 2012). It is associated with suffering, segregation and death of living beings.

14. 14 / 18 Veganism in daily life Not just a set of nutritional rules for well-being. Values, relations and habits are transformed. Vegans seem more oriented to activism (for human rights, for animal rights, environmental activism), political participation, critical consumption, boycott, self-production, organic agriculture, fair trade, a change of the lexicon surrounding meat/animals. Social actors, through their decisions, can actively condition the dynamics of society, becoming drivers of change. They can trasform shared beliefs, building a new social order based on the respect for life.

15. 15 / 18 The adoption of a cruelty free lifestyle is the most consistent base to fight injustice against animals, affirming a rejection of the anthropocentric matrix. Vegans come under the stigmatization, marginalization of their practice entailing the risk of a depoliticization of this practice. Veganism promotes new meanings of food and the relationship between humans and animals, making humans closer to empathy.

16. 16 / 18 Conclusion The revolution seems to start from what (who) we eat: from the reflection on the relationship between human beings and their non-human counterparts. Veganism can be a driving force that leads people to question what is taken for granted as well as the capability of individuals to build new identities or networks.

17. 17 / 18 Vegans literally embody the resistance to meatist culture in order to propose a new point of view on “otherness”. The meaning of vegan philosophy is associated with the rejection of the speciesist privilege and the constructions of new habits and an empathy-based society.

18. 18 / 18 Thank you! Image by Roger Olmos f.mininni@campus.unimib.it