TITLE OF PAPER | “Heganism” as a new kind of masculinity? Understanding the potential of vegan men to perform more sustainable and egalitarian masculinities |
---|---|
AUTHORS NAME | Kadri Aavik |
AFFILIATION | Associate Professor of Gender Studies / Postdoctoral Researcher |
UNIVERSITY / INSTITUTE | Tallinn University / University of Helsinki |
kadria@tlu.ee | |
ABSTRACT |
In the past few decades, many scholars and international organisations have increasingly stressed the need for human societies to move towards more sustainable ways of living. This includes developing a more viable relationship to ecosystems and to other species, at a time of imminent threat to ecological and social sustainability. This paper seeks to gain new insights into the practices and identities of men in the context of sustainability in the Nordic region. I focus on men based in Estonia and Finland who have embraced veganism – the practice of refraining from the use of all animal products. Vegan men could be thought of as active participants in transition to more sustainable ways of eating. From the point of view of gender and gendered power relations, the practice of veganism offers potential for doing masculinity differently. Ecofeminist scholars have highlighted similarities between patterns of domination over women and animals, arguing that patriarchy endorses the objectification and exploitation of both women and animals. By refraining from consuming animals and going vegan, men disrupt the link between hegemonic masculinity and meat eating (Adams 1990), recognised as a powerful element in dominant constructions of masculinity. In this way, veganism implicitly challenges patriarchy. Besides practicing empathy, non-violence and compassion towards animals, many vegans seek to nurture caring relationships with other human beings. This may involve challenging hierarchies and power relations in human societies, based on categories such as gender, race and class. By becoming vegan, men open up avenues for “the negotiation of new, nonnormative masculinities that challenge our traditional understandings of what it means to be manly” (Wright 2015: 26). This paper seeks to understand whether and in what ways the identities and practices of vegan men constitute new ways of doing masculinity. The analysis draws from qualitative interviews with over 50 vegan men based in Estonia and Finland. The findings help to understand the role of men in social change and ecological sustainability, by linking gender with the “challenge of sustainable dietary change” (Twine 2016: 243). |
BIOGRAPHY |
Kadri Aavik is an Associate Professor of Gender Studies at Tallinn University, Estonia, and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her recent research includes work in the emergent fields of critical animal studies and vegan studies which she approaches from feminist and intersectional perspectives. She has studied the animal advocacy movement and its links to other social justice movements in the post-socialist space, the reluctance of mainstream feminists to embrace animal justice and veganism, institutional resistance to veganism, on the example of medical encounters in Estonia, and the role of national dietary guidelines in promoting human use of other animals. |
CO-AUTHORS |
No co-author |
KEYWORDS | men, masculinities, gender equality, climate change, sustainability, veganism |
STREAM | 7. Exceeding the Actual: Visions and Spaces for Change |
COMMENTS | |
PICTURE | |
Webpage | |
Home »