Highlights
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- Vegetarianism was linked to lower perceived masculinity, this association is questioned.
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- Perceptions of vegetarians are more variable than perceptions of vegans.
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- Compared to omnivorous diets, those eating a vegan diet are perceived to be lower in masculinity.
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- Choosing to be vegan, not simply a vegan diet, leads to the perception of lower levels of masculinity.
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- The effects of a vegan diet on perceived masculinity is slightly stronger for males than for females.
Abstract
Food
and food consumption matters in interpersonal interactions. Foods
consumed can affect how a person is perceived by others in terms of
morality, likeability, and gender. Food consumption can be used as a
strategy for gendered presentation, either in terms of what foods are
consumed or in the amount of food consumed. Finally, foods themselves
are associated with gender. Previous research (Browarnik, 2012; Ruby
& Heine, 2011) shows inconsistent patterns in the association
between vegetarianism and masculinity. The current research conceptually
replicates and extends this research by including the explicit label of
vegetarian. The four studies in this article provide increased
information about the effects of diet on gendered perceptions. Study 1
shows that vegetarian and omnivorous targets are rated equally in terms
of masculinity. Study 2 shows that perceptions of vegetarians and vegans
are similar, though comparing this research with past research
indicates that perceptions of vegetarians are more variable. Study 3
shows that veganism leads perceptions of decreased masculinity relative
to omnivores. Finally, Study 4 tests one possible mechanism for the
results of Study 3, that it is the choice to be vegan that impacts
perceptions of gender. Implications include increased knowledge about
how meatless diets can affect the perceptions of gender in others.
Multiple directions for future research are discussed.
Keywords
- Diet;
- Gender;
- Masculinity;
- Veganism;
- Vegetarianism
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
