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An Examination of Vegan's Beliefs and Experiences AN EXAMINATION OF VEGAN’S BELIEFS AND EXPERIENCES USING CRITICAL THEORY AND AUTOETHNOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER A. HIRSCHLER Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts Excelsior College May, 1998 Master of Arts in Liberal Studies State University of New York College at Brockport December, 1998 Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN URBAN EDUCATION: LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT at the CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY May, 2008 ©Copyright by Christopher A. Hirschler, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the members of my committee for their thoughtful contributions and most of all for their courage to be part of a dissertation that challenges the powerful social norms that influence food choices. To Dr. Jill Black for her steady guidance and professional support. Her continued insistence to focus on the process aided in the improvement of the dissertation and my growth as a researcher. To Dr. Michael Sanders for his quick and thoughtful responses and for exposing me to out of the box approaches to qualitative research. I heard his voice guiding me as I worked through this process. To Dr. Karl Wheatley for his caring demeanor which is professional, personal, and inspiring and facilitated completion of this dissertation. To Dr. Catherine Hansman for the training I received in qualitative research and her suggestions regarding transformative education. To Dr. Carol Battles who helped shift the dissertation to include other occupational categories beyond registered dietitians and for suggestions that created more balance. I would also like to thank family and friends who were instrumental in the completion of this degree and dissertation. To Dr. Pamela L. Paris: being witness to her doctoral work planted a seed that I could earn a Ph.D. also. To Adriana Perez for understanding my need to work so much and for making a large part of the journey so enjoyable. To Maureen Kutz and Cristin Finch for your editorial help and encouragement. To my parents, Ron & Barb (deceased) Hirschler for their unwavering support, encouragement, and pride. To Isabel Marmolejo for her encouragement and ideas. To my Grandma Coleman: For her example of living with courage and gratitude. To my cohort members, especially Danielle Pinkerton, Aaron Ellington, Thomas Griffin, Qingling Yang, and Kimberly Martin. The value of the CSU cohort system is evident in the relationships we forged. We are “part of the family.” Finally, I want to thank all of the vegan participants who so willingly shared details of their lives, read over their narrative and two others, and provided feedback to let me know whether I was getting it right. It was a life‐confirming experience to be in their presence and listen to their stories. I am grateful for the work they have done and continue to do on behalf of human and non‐human animals. AN EXAMINATION OF VEGAN’S BELIEFS AND EXPERIENCES USING CRITICAL THEORY AND AUTOETHNOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER A. HIRSCHLER ABSTRACT This qualitative study uses critical theory, autoethnography, and in‐depth interviews with vegans to explore and analyze the initial impetus to become vegan, the sustaining motivation to persist, the impact the diet and associated practices have had on the participant, and vegan’s assessment of omnivore’s eating practices. In‐depth interviews with three vegans in each of the following professions were conducted: medical doctor, registered dietitian, farmer, professional animal activist, and philosophy professor. Participants were asked to reflect on “narratives of experience” (Caelli, 2001), the story created from their interview. Interviews were analyzed using critical theory to critique the Western approach to diet and food production and hegemonic practices related to food choices. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 Statement of Problem ........................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................. 4 Significance of the Study ....................................................................... 6 Research Questions .............................................................................. 8 Assumptions .......................................................................................... 9 Delimitations ......................................................................................... 9 Limitations........................................................................................... 10 Definitions of Key Terms ..................................................................... 10 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................... 12 Vegetarians ......................................................................................... 15 Vegans ................................................................................................. 18 Dietary Behavior Change .................................................................... 21 Transformative Learning ..................................................................... 24 Prejudice and Stigma .......................................................................... 30 The Victim’s Perspective: Understanding Prejudice ..................... 30 Detecting and Overcoming Stigmatization ................................... 35 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 38 Health .................................................................................................. 39 vii Obesity .......................................................................................... 48 Heart Disease ................................................................................ 50 Cancer ........................................................................................... 58 Pollution ........................................................................................ 62 Contrary Evidence ......................................................................... 67 Health Conclusion ......................................................................... 75 Psychology of Animal Product Consumption ...................................... 77 Carnism ......................................................................................... 92 Psychology Conclusion .................................................................. 94 Occupations ........................................................................................ 96 Farmers ......................................................................................... 96 Industrial Animal Production (IAP)/Factory Farming .............. 96 Slaughterhouse Workers ...................................................... 107 IAP/Factory Farming Conclusion ........................................... 111 Small Family Farms ............................................................... 111 Medical Doctors .......................................................................... 120 Registered Dietitians ................................................................... 122 Philosophy Professors and Animal Rights ................................... 128 Arguments in Opposition to Morally Compulsory Vegetarianism ... 137 Animal Rights Conclusion .................................................................. 142 Animal Activists ................................................................................. 146 III. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 153 viii Theoretical Frame ............................................................................. 154 Research Design ................................................................................ 158 Rationale ........................................................................................... 161 Sample ............................................................................................... 161 Methods/Philosophy ......................................................................... 165 Ethics ................................................................................................. 171 Data Collection .................................................................................. 171 Data Analysis ..................................................................................... 173 Procedures ........................................................................................ 177 Data Reporting .................................................................................. 179 Validity .............................................................................................. 182 IV. FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 186 Autoethnography .............................................................................. 186 The Interviewer ........................................................................... 186 Interview Questions .................................................................... 190 What Is It Like Being Vegan? ................................................. 190 What Was My Experience Like With Food While Growing Up? ........................................................................
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