Sociology and Veganism: A Systematic Literature Review

Veganism is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. In addition to being viewed as a dietary choice, it is also studied in various disciplines as a cultural movement, lifestyle, or even as a climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. Due to its complexity, there is a growing interest in studying veganism through sociological lenses, especially in the environmental sociology field. However, the expansion of the academic literature on veganism is quite sporadic. There is a lack of systemic analysis of sociological contribution to vegan studies. Such an analysis is crucial not only to outline directions and guidelines for further research but also to establish a greater use of sociological knowledge.

The aim of this research is to provide a systematic overview of the current sociological literature on veganism. This analysis follows the PRISMA systematic literature review protocol and includes academic articles published in English between 2000 and 2022. The study has been organized around 3 main research questions to reveal the scope and intensity of sociological research on veganism, its methodological aspects, and the conceptualization of veganism. The results suggest an emerging discourse of veganism as a lifestyle movement and the orientation of studies toward qualitative research. A variety of veganism concepts used in the sociological literature indicate the potential of different strands of research.