ABSTRACT
The nuanced pathways toward veganism can be best understood through a mixed-methods approach. This chapter explores the existence of multiple potential paths that could lead one to become a vegetarian or vegan. I provide empirical evidence from a mixed-methods study. The results of a quantitative path analysis show the multi-layered nature of vegetarianism and veganism and what motivates individuals to challenge and change their food habits (knowledge, social justice, education, and general attitudes about animals). A qualitative analysis of interviews adds a rhetorical layer to the path analysis by complicating the vegan identity. This nuanced approach allows for a deeper rhetorical understanding of the binary vegan/non-vegan divide. These results suggest that an intersectional understanding of veganism and vegetarianism through an invitational approach toward storied activism can refine and inform the food ethics movement by avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach to understanding and motivating veganism.
