Food consumption plays an important role for future sustainable livelihoods and, in particular, the vegan diet is becoming increasingly popular among consumers of different societies. Understanding how people change their food habits is a major research quest and there is growing interest in the role of social media sites since these are important platforms for visual presentation online where individuals can influence others. This article investigates how vegan ‘men’ present themselves on the social media network Instagram. Drawing on the analytical framework of ‘hegemonic masculinity’, the study examines what values these individuals visually portray online. By conducting a content analysis of 600 top-posts that appear under the hashtag #veganmen, narratives are examined for what they convey and how certain ‘masculine’ perceptions are re-shaped or reinforced. The findings reveal the visual significance of ‘masculine’ self-presentation by vegan ‘men’ over other narratives that portray values of sustainability, compassion and empathy. Nonetheless, this narrative of ‘masculine’ self-presentation can still be understood as an attempt to motivate other individuals to embrace a plant-based diet and thereby contribute to change towards more ‘sustainable’ food consumption habits.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:23:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ernesto Luiz Marques Nunes.pdf: 1470127 bytes, checksum: a37a27b81b05f309cf8656c2bbd2ec41 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation aims to investigate the vegan activism who are vegans, how vegan groups and collectives are formed, how they work and spread their cause - in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. The initial working hypothesis is that the vegan activism is a form of social change, taking into account the questions that make the consumption of products and services that involve the use of animals. The study begins with a characterization of various aspects of vegetarianism - including veganism - considering in this analysis some key concepts of Pierre Bourdieu s theoretical approach, including some his concepts as habitus, taste, symbolic violence and lifestyles. Beyond Bourdieu's reference in the field of social sciences, three other authors, philosophers Peter Singer and Tom Regan and a lawyer, Gary Francione, are presented as theoretical thinker that contribute with some concepts - sentience, speciesism, animal welfare, among others - that serve of theoretical and practical reference to the action of vegans, on which I present a panel of its organization, operation and dissemination of ideas, analyzing their contributions to social change. I adopted a methodology that combines various techniques of quantitative and qualitative profile, as in-depth personal interviews, the online survey, interview by email only with open questions, ethnographic observation and virtual ethnography. A total of 230 vegetarians were interviewed to understand the vegetarian origins, considering the various types of vegetarians (lacto vegetarianism, egg vegetarianism, lacto egg vegetarianism and strict vegetarian or vegan), the differences between the regime and vegetarian eating habits, the main reasons for becoming vegetarian - health, religion, ecology, economics, ethics - as well as pointing out the profile, the characteristics of the lifestyle and the symbolic violence suffered by vegetarians in their daily lives. In this sense, the dissertation is inserted in the field of social sciences, particularly focused on anthropology of consumption, on appropriations and on uses / Esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo investigar o ativismo vegano como se constitui, como se organizam os grupos e coletivos que o formam, como atuam e difundem sua causa na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. A hipótese inicial de trabalho é a de que o ativismo vegano representa uma forma de transformação social, levando em conta o questionamento que fazem do consumo de produtos e serviços que envolvem a utilização de animais. O estudo inicia com uma caracterização das várias vertentes do vegetarianismo entre as quais o veganismo , considerando em sua análise alguns conceitos-chave da abordagem teórica presente na obra de Pierre Bourdieu, como habitus, gosto, violência simbólica e estilos de vida. Além de Bourdieu, referência no campo das Ciências Sociais, três outros autores, os filósofos Peter Singer e Tom Regan, e o jurista Gary Francione, são apresentados como teóricos que contribuem com conceitos senciência, especismo, bem-estarismo, entre outros que servem de referência teórica e prática à ação dos veganos, sobre os quais apresento um painel de sua organização, atuação e difusão de ideias, analisando, por fim, sua contribuição para possíveis transformações sociais. Foi adotada uma estratégia metodológica que combina diversas técnicas de perfil qualitativo e quantitativo, como a entrevista em profundidade presencial, o questionário on line, a entrevista por e-mail somente com questões abertas, a observação etnográfica e a etnografia virtual. No total foram entrevistados 230 vegetarianos para dar conta de apresentar as origens vegetarianas do ativismo vegano, a partir do detalhamento dos diversos tipos de vegetarianismos (lactovegetarianismo, ovovegetarianismo, ovolactovegetarianismo e o vegetarianismo estrito ou vegano) existentes, as diferenças entre regime e prática alimentar vegetarianos, as principais motivações para tornar-se vegetariano saúde, religião, ecologia, economia, ética , além de apontar o perfil, as características do estilo de vida e as violências simbólicas sofridas por eles em seu dia a dia. Nesse sentido, a dissertação insere-se no campo das Ciências Sociais, particularmente voltada para uma antropologia dos estudos do consumo, das apropriações e dos usos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:58:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ernesto Luiz Marques Nunes.pdf: 1470127 bytes, checksum: a37a27b81b05f309cf8656c2bbd2ec41 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation aims to investigate the vegan activism who are vegans, how vegan groups and collectives are formed, how they work and spread their cause - in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. The initial working hypothesis is that the vegan activism is a form of social change, taking into account the questions that make the consumption of products and services that involve the use of animals. The study begins with a characterization of various aspects of vegetarianism - including veganism - considering in this analysis some key concepts of Pierre Bourdieu s theoretical approach, including some his concepts as habitus, taste, symbolic violence and lifestyles. Beyond Bourdieu's reference in the field of social sciences, three other authors, philosophers Peter Singer and Tom Regan and a lawyer, Gary Francione, are presented as theoretical thinker that contribute with some concepts - sentience, speciesism, animal welfare, among others - that serve of theoretical and practical reference to the action of vegans, on which I present a panel of its organization, operation and dissemination of ideas, analyzing their contributions to social change. I adopted a methodology that combines various techniques of quantitative and qualitative profile, as in-depth personal interviews, the online survey, interview by email only with open questions, ethnographic observation and virtual ethnography. A total of 230 vegetarians were interviewed to understand the vegetarian origins, considering the various types of vegetarians (lacto vegetarianism, egg vegetarianism, lacto egg vegetarianism and strict vegetarian or vegan), the differences between the regime and vegetarian eating habits, the main reasons for becoming vegetarian - health, religion, ecology, economics, ethics - as well as pointing out the profile, the characteristics of the lifestyle and the symbolic violence suffered by vegetarians in their daily lives. In this sense, the dissertation is inserted in the field of social sciences, particularly focused on anthropology of consumption, on appropriations and on uses / Esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo investigar o ativismo vegano como se constitui, como se organizam os grupos e coletivos que o formam, como atuam e difundem sua causa na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. A hipótese inicial de trabalho é a de que o ativismo vegano representa uma forma de transformação social, levando em conta o questionamento que fazem do consumo de produtos e serviços que envolvem a utilização de animais. O estudo inicia com uma caracterização das várias vertentes do vegetarianismo entre as quais o veganismo , considerando em sua análise alguns conceitos-chave da abordagem teórica presente na obra de Pierre Bourdieu, como habitus, gosto, violência simbólica e estilos de vida. Além de Bourdieu, referência no campo das Ciências Sociais, três outros autores, os filósofos Peter Singer e Tom Regan, e o jurista Gary Francione, são apresentados como teóricos que contribuem com conceitos senciência, especismo, bem-estarismo, entre outros que servem de referência teórica e prática à ação dos veganos, sobre os quais apresento um painel de sua organização, atuação e difusão de ideias, analisando, por fim, sua contribuição para possíveis transformações sociais. Foi adotada uma estratégia metodológica que combina diversas técnicas de perfil qualitativo e quantitativo, como a entrevista em profundidade presencial, o questionário on line, a entrevista por e-mail somente com questões abertas, a observação etnográfica e a etnografia virtual. No total foram entrevistados 230 vegetarianos para dar conta de apresentar as origens vegetarianas do ativismo vegano, a partir do detalhamento dos diversos tipos de vegetarianismos (lactovegetarianismo, ovovegetarianismo, ovolactovegetarianismo e o vegetarianismo estrito ou vegano) existentes, as diferenças entre regime e prática alimentar vegetarianos, as principais motivações para tornar-se vegetariano saúde, religião, ecologia, economia, ética , além de apontar o perfil, as características do estilo de vida e as violências simbólicas sofridas por eles em seu dia a dia. Nesse sentido, a dissertação insere-se no campo das Ciências Sociais, particularmente voltada para uma antropologia dos estudos do consumo, das apropriações e dos usos

Thesis (Masters) -- The College of Saint Elizabeth, 2010. / Typescript. Available at The College of Saint Elizabeth - Office of Graduate Programs. "March 2010"

Market research is often conducted through conventional methods such as surveys, focus groups and interviews. But the drawbacks of these methods are that they can be costly and timeconsuming. This study develops a new method, based on a combination of standard techniques like sentiment analysis and normalisation, to conduct market research in a manner that is free and quick. The method can be used in many application-areas, but this study focuses mainly on the veganism market to identify vegan food preferences in the form of a profile. Several food words are identified, along with their distribution between positive and negative sentiments in the profile. Surprisingly, non-vegan foods such as cheese, cake, milk, pizza and chicken dominate the profile, indicating that there is a significant market for vegan-suitable alternatives for such foods. Meanwhile, vegan-suitable foods such as coconut, potato, blueberries, kale and tofu also make strong appearances in the profile. Validation is performed by using the method on Volkswagen vehicle data to identify positive and negative sentiment across five car models. Some results were found to be consistent with sales figures and expert reviews, while others were inconsistent. The reliability of the method is therefore questionable, so the results should be used with caution.

[pt] Após o surgimento da internet, pudemos observar várias transformações em nosso modo de obter informações, interagir com outras pessoas e até mesmo de nos mobilizar politicamente. Movimentos sociais passaram a utilizar o ciberespaço para divulgar, protestar e captar mais adeptos para suas causas. A chegada das redes sociais facilitou ainda mais a participação política. Em 2013, diversas manifestações tiveram as redes sociais como ponto de partida e troca de informações para organizar protestos, entre eles, as Jornadas de Junho, no Brasil. É possível detectar nesse período um crescimento exponencial do ciberativismo. Através de websites, perfis no Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, entre outros, diversos movimentos em prol de mudanças sociais, políticas e ambientais vêm expandindo suas ações e aumentando a quantidade de apoiadores para suas causas. Um dos movimentos destacados neste trabalho é o veganismo, isto é, a luta pelo abolicionismo animal. Com atuação ciberativista intensa, o movimento vem se expandindo e ocasionando mudanças de hábitos e pensamentos, além da desconstrução de vários aspectos da cultura vigente. Este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar os impactos do ciberativismo em nossas vidas e as transformações em nossa configuração subjetiva, ocasionadas por movimentos sociais, com recorte especial no veganismo. / [en] After the emergence of the Internet, we were able to observe several transformations in our way of obtaining information, interacting with other people and even mobilizing us politically. Social movements began to use cyberspace to spread, protest and attract more followers to their causes. The arrival of social networks has further facilitated political participation. In 2013, several demonstrations had social networks as a starting point and exchange of information to organize protests, among them, the June Days in Brazil. It is possible to detect in this period an exponential growth of cyber-activism. Through websites, profiles on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, among others, various movements for social, political and environmental changes have been expanding their actions and increasing the number of supporters for their causes. One of the movements highlighted in this work is veganism, that is, the struggle for animal abolitionism. With intense cyberactivism, the movement has been expanding and causing changes in habits and thoughts, as well as the deconstruction of various aspects of the current culture. This work aims to investigate the impacts of cyber-activism on our lives and the transformations in our subjective configuration, caused by social movements, with a special cut in veganism.

En los últimos años, se han popularizado diferentes tendencias para llevar una vida saludable, tales como las dietas vegetarianas, promoción del deporte y el estilo de vida vegano. Sin embargo, existen todo tipo de preguntas, especulaciones, estereotipos y suposiciones que otras personas tienen sobre el veganismo. Ante ello, surge la idea de Zona Natural, un espacio digital que pueda informar acerca de la filosofía del veganismo, el compromiso firme con la defensa de los derechos de los animales y brindar un acercamiento real a este estilo de vida a través de productos saludables elaborados con insumos 100% veganos. El mercado objetivo apunta a hacer énfasis en las posibilidades de aumentar la oferta de mercado en postres saludables e incentivar a los usuarios a buscar opciones saludables que puedan mejorar sus hábitos alimenticios a través de opciones atractivas para los clientes. Por ello, Zona Natural busca crear una comunidad donde se pueda brindar toda la información necesaria y los mejores productos y postres veganos para empezar con esta vida saludable. Tras las validaciones de interés del mercado meta como los resultados del concierge, el proyecto Zona Natural ha demostrado su potencial de rentabilidad en el escenario esperado de tres años, generando beneficios brutos por 50% y la evaluando una tasa de crecimiento de las ventas mensuales superior a 60%. Así, Zona Natural plantea convertirse en una marca que pueda contribuir con la difusión del veganismo y ser un canal que pueda dar a conocer alternativas saludables a través de medios digitales. / In recent years, there have been different trends that intent to lead a healthy life, such as vegetarian diets, sport promotion and vegan lifestyle. However, there are all kinds of questions, speculations, stereotypes, and assumptions that other people have about veganism. In this context, the idea of ​​Zona Natural arises as a digital space that can inform about the philosophy of veganism, the firm commitment to the defense of animal rights and provide a real approach to this lifestyle through healthy products made with 100% vegan ingredients. The target market aims to emphasize the possibilities of increasing the market offer in healthy desserts and to encourage users to seek healthy options that can improve their eating habits through attractive options for customers. For this reason, Zona Natural seeks to create a community where all the necessary information and the best vegan products and desserts can be provided to start this healthy life. After the interest validations and concierge results, Zona Natural has demonstrated its profitability potential in the expected three-year scenario, generating gross profits of 50% and evaluating a higher monthly sales growth rate. to 60%. Thus, Zona Natural proposes to become a brand that can contribute to the spread of veganism and be a modern way to promote healthy food alternatives through digital media. / Trabajo de investigación

“Comfort Food – Comfortable for Who?” – Questions the true comfort of our eating habits, critically addressing our prevalent unsustainable animal-based food cultures by exploring genuine comfort food through design. In my process I have researched why our eating habits are so hard to change, from our psychological attachment to meat to the patriarchal foundation of our food cultures. By exploring the medium of food and cooking as design practice, I have encountered how essential the element of comfort is to human’s eating experience. Resulting in an approach to plant-based eating where the essential comfort factors of our food cultures meet the beyond-human comfort needs.

Offering contemporary insights into movement activities, this study explores the discursive identity formations and discursive constructions of veganism in the communication event #veganuary on Twitter. In a tentative attempt to understand #veganuary as a site of discursive and socio-cultural change, this study seeks to answer the research questions: (1) “What discursive identity formations take part in the semantic battle for the meaning of veganism in the communication event #veganuary on Twitter?”, (2) “How is veganism discursively constructed in the communication event #veganuary on Twitter?”, and (3) “How can we understand #veganuary on Twitter as a site of discursive and socio-cultural change?”. Relying on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) both as a theoretical and methodological framework, this study places itself in the field of media and communication studies in the intersection between studies on discourse, veganism, Twitter usage, and the everyday activism of Lifestyle Movements (LMs). Four main identity formations were identified and analyzed in the communication event, discursively constructing very different definitions and implications of veganism – as a diet, a challenge, a lifestyle, an identity, activism, a market opportunity, and a brand mission. Ultimately, #veganuary on Twitter can be understood as a site for discursive and socio-cultural change as a hemeratopian everyday alternative space, in which new interdiscursive mixes and discursive practices are interlaced in creative ways, inviting and involving new voices to the communication, imagination, and development of alternative ways of living.

An exploration of the idea that tangible change could be made in the world when norms are unsettled rather than reinforced or left untouched. Bloom focuses on creating a space for the individual to re-define the outdated, toxic norms surrounding masculinity to explore ‘what men can be’. This is tied into questioning ‘what food can be’ — now and in the future — in relation to the norm of consuming animal food products in western societies. In collaboration with people who have actively reduced their meat consumption or identify as plant based or vegan, I have aspired to use my practice as a visual communicator to illustrate connections and reveal hidden narratives of these individuals who are already challenging these norms as change agents within society. The outcome is the Bloom Box — an interactive box containing their stories visualised with ‘out of the norm’ plant foods.