View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by K-State Research Exchange SUSTAINED EFFORTS AND COLLECTIVE CLAIMS: THE SOCIAL INFLUENCE OF THE VEGAN MOVEMENT FROM 1944 TO PRESENT by SHANNON TRONCALE RAWLS B.A., University of Montevallo, 2008 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2010 Approved by: Major Professor Dr. Robert Schaeffer Copyright SHANNON TRONCALE RAWLS 2010 Abstract Following a strict form of vegetarianism, vegans adopt a philosophy and practice a lifestyle that seeks to eliminate the use of all animal products and by-products in any form. Although vegetarian diets have been popular in many cultures for centuries, a more organized and defined version of veganism as we know it today did not emerge until the mid-1940s. Although the origins and nature of vegetarianism and veganism have been researched in depth for decades, this lifestyle has scarcely been evaluated as a social movement. Therefore, I seek to fill this gap in knowledge and describe veganism as a social movement and evaluate its social effects. I have gathered historical and sociological data and theories from a variety of sources. I combine this data in order to thoroughly illustrate the history, nature, and future of vegans as a social movement and show how it has contributed to social change. The sociological definitions of what constitutes a social movement as described by Charles Tilly and Sidney Tarrow will illustrate the many ways vegans can be viewed as a social movement. A synthesis of these two social scientists’ definitions in the analysis of vegans as a social movement will show that vegans meet both Tilly and Tarrow’s criteria for a social movement. I will use these criteria as a framework to show how vegans’ activity and growth fit into Tilly and Tarrow’s theoretical outline for what constitutes a social movement. Further, I use other evidence such as polls and news articles in order to support this idea, showing the movement behaviors of vegans in Western culture. Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Defining the Problem .................................................................................................................. 1 What is a Social Movement? ...................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2 - Historical Background ............................................................................................ 6 History of Veganism ................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 3 - Review of Existing Literature .............................................................................. 11 Elizabeth Cherry ....................................................................................................................... 11 Critique ................................................................................................................................. 12 Donna Maurer ........................................................................................................................... 14 Critique ................................................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER 4 - Methodology ........................................................................................................ 18 Vegetarian Resource Group Adult Polls ................................................................................... 19 1994 and 1997 ....................................................................................................................... 20 2000 ....................................................................................................................................... 20 2003, 2006 and 2009 ............................................................................................................. 20 Vegetarian Resource Group Youth Polls .................................................................................. 20 1995 and 2000 ....................................................................................................................... 21 2005 and 2010 ....................................................................................................................... 21 Vegetarian Resource Group Dining-Out Polls ......................................................................... 21 Additional Polls ........................................................................................................................ 21 News Articles as Evidence ....................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER 5 - Results .................................................................................................................. 23 Theoretical Evidence ................................................................................................................ 23 Other Movements’ Contributions to the Vegan Movement ..................................................... 25 Animal Rights Movement ..................................................................................................... 25 Animal Liberation Front ................................................................................................... 27 iv PETA................................................................................................................................. 29 Environmental Movement .................................................................................................... 32 News Articles as Evidence ....................................................................................................... 35 New York Times ................................................................................................................... 36 BBC News ............................................................................................................................ 38 1999-2007 ......................................................................................................................... 38 2007-present ...................................................................................................................... 40 Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 41 Legislative Activity ................................................................................................................... 42 Early Animal Protection Law ............................................................................................... 42 United States Animal Protection ........................................................................................... 44 Vegan Organizations and Campaigns ................................................................................... 45 Farm Sanctuary ................................................................................................................. 45 Vegan Outreach ................................................................................................................ 48 Vegan Action .................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 6 - Polls ...................................................................................................................... 52 Vegetarian Resource Group Adult Poll Results ....................................................................... 52 1994 ....................................................................................................................................... 52 1997 ....................................................................................................................................... 53 2000 ....................................................................................................................................... 53 2003 ....................................................................................................................................... 55 2006 ....................................................................................................................................... 56 2009 ....................................................................................................................................... 57 Vegetarian Resource Group Youth Poll Results ....................................................................... 57 1995 ....................................................................................................................................... 58 2000 ....................................................................................................................................... 58 2005 ......................................................................................................................................