Representations of death among Italian vegetarians: An ethnographic research on environment, disgust and transcendence
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Testoni, Ines
Ghellar, Tommaso
Rodelli, Maddalena
De Cataldo, Loriana
Zamperini, Adriano
Abstract / Description
This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices.
Keyword(s)
vegetarianism veganism representations of death anti-speciesism transcendence animal dignity environmentalismPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2017-08-31
Journal title
Europe's Journal of Psychology
Volume
13
Issue
3
Page numbers
378–395
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Testoni, I., Ghellar, T., Rodelli, M., De Cataldo, L., & Zamperini, A. (2017). Representations of death among Italian vegetarians: An ethnographic research on environment, disgust and transcendence. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 13(3), 378–395. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1301
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ejop.v13i3.1301.pdfAdobe PDF - 1.37MBMD5: 2ad429bc5bf73836d21d6d34429de84a
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There are no other versions of this object.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Testoni, Ines
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Ghellar, Tommaso
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Rodelli, Maddalena
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Author(s) / Creator(s)De Cataldo, Loriana
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Zamperini, Adriano
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-21T10:00:04Z
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Made available on2018-11-21T10:00:04Z
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Date of first publication2017-08-31
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Abstract / DescriptionThis paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationTestoni, I., Ghellar, T., Rodelli, M., De Cataldo, L., & Zamperini, A. (2017). Representations of death among Italian vegetarians: An ethnographic research on environment, disgust and transcendence. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 13(3), 378–395. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1301
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ISSN1841-0413
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1062
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1254
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1301
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Keyword(s)vegetarianismen_US
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Keyword(s)veganismen_US
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Keyword(s)representations of deathen_US
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Keyword(s)anti-speciesismen_US
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Keyword(s)transcendenceen_US
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Keyword(s)animal dignityen_US
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Keyword(s)environmentalismen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleRepresentations of death among Italian vegetarians: An ethnographic research on environment, disgust and transcendenceen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue3
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Journal titleEurope's Journal of Psychology
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Page numbers378–395
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Volume13
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record