Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment? [Paperback]

Donna Maurer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002

Vegetarianism seems to be increasing in popularity and acceptance in the United States and Canada, yet, quite surprisingly, the percentage of the population practicing vegetarian diets has not changed dramatically over the past 30 years. People typically view vegetarianism as a personal habit or food choice, even though organizations in North America have been promoting vegetarianism as a movement since the 1850s. This book examines the organizational aspects of vegetarianism and tries to explain why the predominant movement strategies have not successfully attracted more people to adopt a vegetarian identity. "Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment?" is the first book to consider the movement on a broad scale from a social science perspective. While this book takes into account the unique history of North American vegetarianism and the various reasons why people adopt vegetarian diets, it focuses on how movement leaders' beliefs regarding the dynamics of social change contributes to the selection of particular strategies for attracting people to vegetarianism. In the context of this focus, this book highlights several controversies about vegetarianism that have emerged in nutrition and popular media over the past 30 years. Author note: Donna Maurer is a long-time vegetarian and freelance academic editor who also teaches online for the University of Maryland University College, where she is Adjunct Associate Professor of Sociology. She has co-edited three books on food and body weight issues (with Jeffery Sobal), including "Eating Agendas: Food and Nutrition as Social Problems". She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Study of Food and Society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Donna Maurer's Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment? is the best resource on vegetarianism I have ever read. This book is not only filled with information; it is as readable as a best-selling novel. I was drawn into the book from start to finish and I loved reading every page." --Howard F. Lyman, author of Mad Cowboy "Donna Maurer offers a great service by taking us inside the modern vegetarian movement. She does a very fine job of explaining why people do and do not stop eating meat. [It] will serve as the basic guide to American vegetarianism for many years to come." --Warren Belasco, author of Appetite for Change: How the Counterculture Took on the Food Industry "All new vegetarian advocates should read Dr. Maurer's book. It will give them an understanding of the issues. It shows both where the movement has come from and the outreach methods it has attempted. If someone were to read Vegetarianism early in their advocacy, it would quickly advance their thought on the subject, saving them years of discovering things on their own." --Jack Norris, R.D., President, Vegan Outreach "As both a careful sociologist and a committed vegan, Donna Maurer brings fresh insight into the multi-dimensional character of vegetarianism in the United States: its values, assumptions, and practices." --Amy Bently, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University "[This book does] a good job of describing the history of a particular movement that has not received a lot of well-researched coverage." --Kliatt

From the Publisher

The strategies and beliefs of vegetarian groups

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156639936X
• ISBN-13: 978-1566399364
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book about Vegetarianism and Vegetarians, June 2, 2002

By 

Paul Benvie (Marshfield, MA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment? (Paperback)

I loved this book, even though I am not a vegetarian. This is because Dr. Maurer's writing style is excellent; she knows how to convey what she's writing about without making it sound like a lecture. It reads like a real book, supplying many facts, insights and ideas that propel you from one page to the next. It's not preachy at all, she just tells you what vegetarianism is about, and what life is like for vegetarians (The answer to that would be pretty much no different from a meat-eater). There were a lot of interesting little tidbits in this book, like how many Seventh-Day Adventists are vegetarians, and how many Yoga practitioners are also vegetarians. I also liked reading about the efforts of individuals and groups to convince food vendors (Restaurants, school lunchrooms, etc.) to offer meatless choices as part of their menus. So, if you're at all interested in the subject matter, this would be the best place to start learning more.

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything I hoped for, February 8, 2008

By 

Diana J. Smith "veggie.researcher" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment? (Paperback)

This is the only good resource on Vegetarianism as a movement, with in depth information on ideologies,leaders' strategies, etc. Very helpful if you are doing research on the movement when used along with Maurer's dissertation.