This book explores veganism through the holistic journeys and lived experiences of former vegans, with a particular focus on the impact this has on their selfhood and identity. It delves into the complexities underpinning definitions of veganism and vegan identities.
Based on original qualitative research charting the experiences of ten former vegans, the text offers a theoretical lens for understanding evolving self-perception, identity, and experience, exploring what leads to initiating a transition in and out of veganism and how former vegans reconcile with losing their vegan identity. Applying a Bakhtinian model of selfhood, the book explores the tensions between ‘voices’ representing values within social discourse, such as veganism, and how individuals co-construct their identity and self-perception through said voices. Chapters explore the diverse experiences of former vegans and offer an insight into the interviewees’ embodied and experience with veganism, divided into three distinct moments of beginning, middle, and end.
Mapping the Holistic Journey of Former Vegans: The Polyphony within Veganism, is intended for scholars and postgraduate students interested in veganism, selfhood and identity, behaviour change and anyone looking to understand the context of veganism in practice.