Eat Meat or Not? Negotiating the Intersection of Practices and Identities: Comparing Punks and Buddhist Followers

• In Event: 40863 - Animals Across Sociological Inquiry

Abstract

Applying conversation analysis and discursive psychology methods, this paper examines interactional practices adopted by self-identified punks and Buddhist followers to discuss issues related to veganism and/or adopting a vegan diet among themselves. We argue that the punk subculture and the lay-followers of Buddhism constitute two unique cases for studying how veganism/adopting a vegan diet may constitute a highly-valued but not required practice for accomplishing important personal and social identities. Specifically, while veganism/adopting a vegan diet has been historically associated with the core values/beliefs of both the punk subculture and Buddhism, it is not necessary for either punks or Buddhist followers to be vegan or adopt a vegan diet. Consequently, many punks and Buddhist followers are meat eaters. While existing studies have focused on examining how vegans manage their identity of being vegan and how they manage potential conflicts between being vegan and other social identities, this paper offers a new perspective by studying veganism/adopting veganism as a set of practices adopted by members to accomplish other valued identities and how such identities may be accomplished when individuals are NOT vegan/adopting a vegan diet. In doing so, we aim to contribute to better understanding the interactional processes through which valued identities are accomplished and/or challenged in relation to practices surrounding veganism. We also provide an empirical account of why people do NOT become vegan/adopt a vegan diet even when such practices are highly encouraged or valued for their identities.

Authors

• Tianhao Zhang, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• Adam Gregory Lilly, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill