Article Version of Record

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 environmentalism

Persistent 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
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Testoni, Ines
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Ghellar, Tommaso
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Rodelli, Maddalena
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    De Cataldo, Loriana
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Zamperini, Adriano
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T10:00:04Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T10:00:04Z
  • Date of first publication
    2017-08-31
  • 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.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • 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
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1062
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1254
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1301
  • Keyword(s)
    vegetarianism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    veganism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    representations of death
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    anti-speciesism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    transcendence
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    animal dignity
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    environmentalism
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Representations of death among Italian vegetarians: An ethnographic research on environment, disgust and transcendence
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    3
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    378–395
  • Volume
    13
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record