*Disclaimer: Please note that parts of this English sci-fly were automatically translated.*
What is it like to raise your child vegan in a world where meat and dairy are the norm? For many vegan parents, this means a constant battle between their beliefs and societal norms. This article discusses how vegan mothers try to raise their children with vegan values, despite pressure from the non-vegan world.
The study
Ryley’s (2024) research focuses on the experiences of 12 vegan mothers. In interviews, they shared the challenges they face daily in a society where animal products like meat and dairy are taken for granted. A key finding is that these mothers often face feelings of isolation and social pressure, as their lifestyle is regularly criticized or not understood by those around them.
Research methods
This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a method that focuses on exploring mothers’ emotions and experiences in depth in relation to broader social and cultural contexts.
WHAT?
The research question focused on how vegan mothers experience raising their children in a non-vegan environment.
WHO?
The sample consisted of 12 mothers from the UK, with children aged four months to six years.
HOW?
Semi-structured interviews were conducted, analysing the mothers’ experiences to better understand their challenges and strategies.
Main findings
It was clear from the interviews that vegan parenting is challenging. Whereas veganism as a personal choice for adults is often received with more acceptance, vegan parenting encounters much more resistance and quickly has political overtones. Mothers reported that their parenting style often raised concerns among others. However, instead of support for their children’s well-being, these concerns often resulted in criticism and rejection. This reinforced their feelings of alienation. As their children grew older and came into more contact with non-vegan children and institutions, this sense of alienation grew further. Especially when this outside world was critical of their parenting style. This reinforced the isolation of the mothers, who felt they constantly had to defend their parenting choices in a world that did not fully understand or accept their lifestyle.
Implications
This research highlights the urgent need for greater understanding and acceptance of vegan families. It would be valuable if public institutions were more sensitive to the specific needs of vegan children and their parents, and respected rather than condemned their choices. Further research could focus on the experiences of vegan fathers, which could not only provide a broader understanding of vegan parenting, but also further illuminate the association between meat consumption and masculinity.
This sci-fly was written by Rosa Pije for the course Recente Ontwikkelingen in Risicogedrag, master’s degree PWO, 2024, Radboud University.
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