The role of communities in vegetarian and vegan identity construction

Lucie Sirieix (), Gilles Séré de Lanauze, Margot Dyen (), Laurie Balbo and Erick Suarez
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Lucie Sirieix: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement
Gilles Séré de Lanauze: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier
Margot Dyen: IREGE - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et en Economie - USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc
Laurie Balbo: EESC-GEM Grenoble Ecole de Management
Erick Suarez: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier

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Abstract: The recognition of the necessity to reduce meat consumption in affluent nations is now widely acknowledged. A large body of literature examines the personal factors that lead to meat reduction or avoidance, including the motivations and profiles of individuals. While excluding meat consumption from ones' diet alone could be challenging, surprisingly, literature has sparsely examined the role of communities supporting this process, which includes both practices and convictions. This research seeks to make up for that and aims to investigate the impact of communities (both imagined and real) on the construction of vegetarian and vegan identities. To this end, nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with non-meat eaters, ten of whom underwent follow-up interviews. The analyses conducted focused on their practices, convictions, and interactions within communities. The findings revealed two major points: firstly, practices and convictions develop simultaneously and in relation to various types of communities; secondly, identity is constructed through both affiliation and differentiation processes. These findings offer strong theoretical and practical implications by contributing to the understanding of the impact of community-driven value-based identity built on conviction-based consumption practices. For brands, retailers and public policy makers, this research provides practical recommendations for promoting meat-free diets, not only through making information available but also by using the co-evolution of practice and convictions as leverage, and by empowering communities in the process.

Keywords: Identity; Food marketing; Communities; Identity project; Vegetarian practices; Vegan Practices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04150922v1
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Published in Journal of retailing and consumer services, 2023, 75, pp.103470. ⟨10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103470⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04150922

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103470

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