1

Deepanker Seth

Professor Albert T. Vargas

Eng. 1010

03/29/2020

Current Subculture - Veganism

I. Introduction: Veganism is the philosophy about refraining the use of animal

products - in diet and the belief that animals are more than just a commodity. So,
a vegan is the follower of this belief. (Wikipedia)

There are several distinct categories of veganism-

1. Dietary vegans are the ones who refrain from consuming meat, eggs, dairy

products, and any other animal-derived substances.

2. An ethical vegan (also known as a "moral vegetarian") is the one who not only
follows a vegan diet but extends the philosophy into other areas of their lives
and opposes the use of animals for any purpose.

3. Another term is "environmental veganism", which refers to the avoidance of

animal products on the premise that the industrial farming of animals is
environmentally damaging and unsustainable.

The Vegan Society also defined veganism as - “a way of living which seeks to exclude,
as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals
for food, clothing or any other purpose”.
And according to The Vegetarian Resource Group – “Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish,
or poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products
and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics,
and soaps derived from animal products”.

II. Origins: The origin of veganism is closely tied to the origin of vegetarianism.
Vegetarianism can be traced back to Indus Valley Civilization in 3300–1300 BCE in
the Indian subcontinent. Early vegetarians included Indian philosophers such
as Mahavira, Greek philosophers such as Theophrastus and Plutarch; and the
Roman playwright Seneca the Younger.

Vegetarianism was established as a significant movement in 19th-century Britain

and the United States. A minority of vegetarians avoided animal food entirely. In
1815, William Lambe, a London physician, stated that his "water and vegetable diet"
could cure anything from tuberculosis to acne. Lambe called animal food a "habitual
 2

irritation” and argued that "milk eating and flesh-eating are but branches of a
common system and they must stand or fall together". Sylvester Graham's meatless
Graham diet—mostly fruit, vegetables, water, and bread made at home
with stoneground flour—became popular as a health remedy in the 1830s in the
United States. Several vegan communities were also established around this time.

During a visit to London in 1931, Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech to the Vegetarian

Society arguing that it ought to promote a meat-free diet as a matter of morality, not
health. Lacto-vegetarians (eat no meat, eggs but consume dairy products)
acknowledged the ethical consistency of the vegan position but regarded a vegan
diet as impracticable and were concerned that it might be an impediment to
spreading vegetarianism. This became the predominant view of the Vegetarian
Society.
In November 1944, Donald Watson started a new quarterly newsletter and called
it The Vegan News. He chose the word vegan himself, based on "the first three and
last two letters of 'vegetarian'" because it marked, in Mr Watson's words, "the
beginning and end of vegetarian". And the Vegan Society soon made clear that it
rejected the use of animals for any purpose, not only in diet.

In 1951, the Society published its definition of veganism as "the doctrine that man
should live without exploiting animals". In 1956, its vice-president, Leslie Cross,
founded the Plantmilk Society and later Plamil Foods, it began production of one of
the first widely distributed soy milks in the Western world.

In 1960, H. Jay Dinshah founded the American Vegan Society (AVS), linking

veganism to the concept of ahimsa, "non-harming" in Sanskrit. The word vegan was
first published independently in 1962 by the Oxford Illustrated Dictionary, defined as
"a vegetarian who eats no butter, eggs, cheese, or milk".

The World Vegan Day is held every 1 November to mark the founding of the Vegan
Society (UK) and the month of November is considered by the Society to be World
Vegan Month.(Wikipedia)

III. Diversity: The community of vegans is very diverse having people from all
faiths, backgrounds, religions and countries. Even everyone’s reason for being
vegan is different. And while all people following this subculture are vegan, everyone
has a different approach to it. Not only do people has diverse motives for being a
vegan, they also eat different. One vegan’s diet can be totally different from the other
one. And just because the food is vegan, it does not automatically mean it’s
“healthy”. The vegan community is pretty diverse, but it’s also connected in a way
that they are doing more sustainable practices which is good for everyone.

IV. Appeal: The concept of veganism has started to appeal more and more people
as the best choice for personal health. It is linked to numerous health benefits as
many studies have found that a vegan lifestyle is better than a carnivorous way of
life. According to the article- “Health Benefits of Vegan Diet ”, some of the benefits of
 3

vegan diet include- Promote weight loss, reduce your risk of heart disease, lower
your chances of getting cancer, manage diabetes. The concept of veganism also
appeals to people as the way to become more humble towards our fellow animals
and considering them equally important as humans. It is about giving them equal
chance of living which motivates some of us to take the vegan path.

V. Codes/Rules: People who consider themselves vegan are expected to follow some
general rules and guidelines. They are expected to not eat any meat, fish, eggs,
dairy products or any other product derived from animals. They are also expected to
live a more “conscious” life- a life in which one see the impact of their actions and
take decisions accordingly. Vegans also tend to promote their way of life. The
message is simple- live and let live.

VI. Reactions: The very existence of this subculture is quite opposite to the
mainstream idea of consuming food and perception towards animals. And there are
still a lot of people who are not ready to accept that one can survive with a full plant-
based diet. Some people still firmly believe that animal meat is essential for survival
and it can’t be substituted for anything else. But a lot has changed since the WHO
made it official that processed meat is a major factor in causing cancer. It was a
wakeup call as most of the meat is actually processed. And since then, numerous
documentaries, articles and videos have exposed the lies meat industries have
made over years. People have mixed reactions, some realize the truth and made
changes to their diet and lifestyle while others ignore and stay in their comfort zone.
Hence, in some ways veganism still face some criticism and is not openly accepted
making it different from the mainstream scene and hence a subculture.

VII. Change (How has the subculture changed over time?): The perception
about veganism has changed a lot in last few years. Just few decades ago what was
considered extreme and impossible, is now being followed by people as if it is a
trend. More and more people are becoming vegan every day. Rather, it won’t be
wrong to say that veganism has take the world especially the West by storm. More
and more vegan food items are becoming available. Restaurants are adding vegan
options to their menu. Also, companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are
doing phenomenal job of making vegan substitutes of traditional meat. Things are
changing fast. Rather the year 2019 was called as the year of veganism. And things
will continue to change as more people realize benefits of vegan diet and science
makes it easier than ever to switch their diet.

VIII. Conclusion: Veganism is a fast-growing subculture. And now with all kinds of
vegan products available, people are willing to try it more than ever. While it is still
on the lower end of spectrum compared to carnivorous diet, but it is catching up fast.
In conclusion I would say that it is a unique yet accessible subculture that which is
worth the effort.
 4

Works Cited

“Veganism” Wikipedia. 2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism Accessed 03/10/2020

“Definition of Veganism” The Vegan Society. 2017

www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism Accessed 03/10/2020

“Veganism in a Nutshell” The Vegetarian Resource. Group 2014

www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm Accessed 03/10/2020

“Health Benefits of Vegan Diet” Rush. 2019

https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/health-benefits-vegan-diet Accessed
03/11/2020

“New Study Finds 51 Percent of Chefs Have Added Vegan Menu Items in 2018” ChooseVeg.
2018
https://chooseveg.com/blog/51-percent-of-chefs-add-vegan-menu-items/ Accessed 03/15/2020

“World Health Organization Says Processed Meat Causes Cancer” American Cancer Society.
2015
https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/world-health-organization-says-processed-meat-causes-
cancer.html Accessed 03/27/2020

“Meat Analogue” Wikipedia. 2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_analogue Accessed 03/28/2020