Fox, N. and Ward, K. (2008) Health, ethics and environment: A qualitative study of vegetarian motivations. Appetite, 50 (2-3). pp. 422-429. ISSN 0195-6663
Abstract
This qualitative study explored the motivations of vegetarians by means of online ethnographic research with participants in an international message board. The researcher participated in discussions on the board, gathered responses to questions from 33 participants, and conducted follow-up e-mail interviews with eighteen of these participants. Respondents were predominantly from the US, Canada and the UK. Seventy per cent were female, and ages ranged from 14 to 53, with a median of 26 years. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. While this research found that health and the ethical treatment of animals were the main motivators for participants’ vegetarianism, participants reported a range of commitments to environmental concerns, although in only one case was environmentalism a primary motivator for becoming a vegetarian. The data indicates that vegetarians may follow a trajectory, in which initial motivations are augmented over time by other reasons for sustaining or further restricting their diet.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2008 Elsevier B.V. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Appetite. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Sherpa Assistant |
Date Deposited: | 10 Apr 2008 10:02 |
Last Modified: | 08 Feb 2013 16:55 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.09.007 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier B.V. |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.appet.2007.09.007 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:3741 |