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The Vegan Journey University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis Collection Undergraduate Theses 2013 The egV an Journey: An Exploration of Vegan Experiences with Vegans from Burlington, Vermont Kelsey Steele Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/envstheses Recommended Citation Steele, Kelsey, "The eV gan Journey: An Exploration of Vegan Experiences with Vegans from Burlington, Vermont" (2013). Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis Collection. 23. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/envstheses/23 This Undergraduate Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis Collection by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Environmental Studies Thesis The Vegan Journey An Exploration of Vegan Experiences with Vegans from Burlington, Vermont Kelsey Steele May 1, 2013 University of Vermont Advisors Kit Anderson, Ph.D. Tyler Doggett, Ph.D. Stephanie Kaza, Ph.D. 1 Abstract People become vegan for three reasons: environment, health and ethics. Although there are many societal benefits to a vegan lifestyle, only 2% of the U.S. population is currently vegan. Past research has shown that, as a group, vegans’ behavior matches their beliefs. This study is based on semi-structured interviews with 17 vegans in Burlington, Vermont. The purpose of the study was to better understand why and how these vegans became and maintained a vegan lifestyle. An analysis of the interviews showed that the participants went through four stages in their vegan journey: Readiness, Spark, Learning and Telling, and Continuing Journey. By examining these stages, this study concludes that by learning about veganism we can better understand how individuals bridge the gap between their values and actions. 2 Acknowledgments I am exceedingly grateful to my mom, Deborah Schwartz, for her continuous encouragement and advice. Thank you for being my technical support team and for inspiring me everyday to be my best self and to live a compassionate life. I would like to thank Kit Anderson for guiding me through the process of writing a thesis and for always being upbeat and optimistic in our Thesis class every Tuesday. Your class always uplifted my spirits even on the rough days. I would also like to thank Tyler Doggett for his support during this whole process and for his continued excitement about the project. Thank you for helping me to improve my arguments and teaching me how to identify a weak one. I would like to thank Stephanie Kaza for her constant reassurance throughout this project and for her undying dedication to the Environmental Studies Program. I am eternally grateful for this program that has given me hope for a just and kind world. It has also encouraged me to follow a life that I love. Thank you. I am truly grateful to the seventeen participants who shared their stories for this project. You taught me about what it means to be a vegan and I am honored that you let me write about your vegan journeys. I am extremely thankful for everything that you do to make the world a kinder and more beautiful place. I am infinitely grateful for my family and friends who have supported me throughout this project. Thank you for believing in me and helping me to laugh and take a deep breathe even when the road was a bit rough. I could not have done this project without you. 3 Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 3 Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7 Why is this important? ...................................................................................................................... 8 Literature Review .......................................................................................................................... 9 Definition of Veganism .................................................................................................................... 9 The History of Veganism ................................................................................................................. 9 Recent Environmental Implications of a Plant Based Lifestyle ..................................................... 10 Vegans in the United States ............................................................................................................ 10 Reasons for Being Vegan ............................................................................................................... 11 Ethical vs. Health Vegans ............................................................................................................... 14 Behavior and Ethics ........................................................................................................................ 15 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Goal ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Overall Strategy .............................................................................................................................. 17 Recruiting the Participants ............................................................................................................. 18 Burlington’s Role ........................................................................................................................... 18 The Interviews ................................................................................................................................ 20 Interview Topics ............................................................................................................................. 20 Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 24 Participant Demographics .............................................................................................................. 24 Interview Results ............................................................................................................................ 27 Summary of Results ....................................................................................................................... 46 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 47 The Stages of the Vegan Journey ................................................................................................... 47 4 Effects on Non-Vegans ................................................................................................................... 51 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 54 Purpose of Research ....................................................................................................................... 54 Limitations and Further Research .................................................................................................. 54 Concluding Thoughts ..................................................................................................................... 55 Work Cited ................................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix A: Poster for Recruiting Participants ...................................................................... 60 Appendix B: Informed Consent Form ....................................................................................... 61 Appendix C: Spreadsheet Summary of Interviews .................................................................. 63 Appendix D: Transcribed Interviews ........................................................................................ 73 5 Table of Figures Figure 1: Participants' Gender ........................................................................................................ 25 Figure 2: Average Number of Years Vegan ................................................................................... 25 Figure 3: Initial Reason to Become Vegan ..................................................................................... 26 Figure 4: Four Stages of Vegan Journey ........................................................................................ 47 Figure 5: Vegans and Non-Vegans on Vegan Journey .................................................................. 53 6 Introduction When I first came to Burlington, Vermont as a freshman, I was excited that I was going to be in a place that I thought supported a vegan lifestyle. In my hometown in
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