Portraits of Veganism: A Comparative Analysis of Vegan-Promoting Documentary Films

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dc.contributor.advisorBartkowski, John P.
dc.contributor.authorChristopher, Allison
dc.contributor.committeeMemberAcevedo, Gabriel
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMarquez, Raquel
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-09T20:20:37Z
dc.date.available2024-02-09T20:20:37Z
dc.date.issued2013
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractThrough a qualitative discourse analysis of two vegan-promoting documentary films, <italic>Forks over Knives (2011)</italic> and <italic>Vegucated (2010)</italic>, this study provides new insight into the underrepresented subject of veganism. This study uses insights from cultural theories to address a significant gap in prior scholarship by examining how the medium of documentary film is used to construct veganism by this subculture's advocates, thereby complementing previous research on identity negotiation among vegan individuals. Discourse analysis of these two vegan-promoting films reveals divergent definitions of veganism and competing strategies for the promotion of veganism. <italic>Forks over Knives</italic> generally promotes what I call "health veganism" rooted in scientific arguments about the dietary benefits of veganism. By contrast, <italic>Vegucated</italic> promotes what I term "holistic veganism" that, while encompassing personal health benefits, also promotes animal rights advocacy and environmental consciousness. These competing portrayals are examined using subcultural identity theory to explain how the vegan subculture is both distinct from and engaged with the cultural mainstream, albeit in different ways within each of these films. Veganism is a distinctive dietary lifestyle, but maintains cultural relevance by drawing on broader cultural discourses of individualism, science, healthy living, and environmental awareness.
dc.description.departmentSociology
dc.format.extent60 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/3236
dc.languageen
dc.subjectDiscourse Analysis
dc.subjectDocumentary Films
dc.subjectQualitative
dc.subjectVegan
dc.subject.classificationSociology
dc.titlePortraits of Veganism: A Comparative Analysis of Vegan-Promoting Documentary Films
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentSociology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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