Positioning processes around vegetarianism. A psychological study of change in foodways from a socio-cultural perspective

In this doctoral dissertation, I adress the issue of changes in foodways, using a socio-cultural framework, as this approach takes as a starting point the dynamic co-construction between the person and her or his environment. Within this framework, I place particular emphasis on approaches underlining the importance of dialogicity and socio-materiality in human activities. I select several conceptual tools that I consider as useful to analyze these processes of navigation of the world, namely positioning, rupture/transition, responsibility and creativity. The phenomenon that I examine with this theoretical framework is the elaboration of a foodway at an individual level and, more specifically, the questioning and refusal of products of animal origin, which, depending notably on the extent of the avoidance, might be labelled vegetarianism or veganism. I argue that this phenomenon is of high interest notably because it is at the core of societal debates and challenges related to animal ethics, environmental impact and health issues. In this thesis, I conceptualize changes in foodways as movements of repositioning in a foodscape (a landscape of discourses and practices related to food and eating) and I address the following research question: What are the positioning dynamics around the consumption of products of animal origin among people who changed their foodway regarding these products? In order to address this question, I use a qualitative approach allowing me to understand each situation and trajectory in its complexity and dynamicity. I propose a methodological design combining a narrative interview, a dialogical experiment, and a filmed observation. As a complement, I also collect elements from the socio-cultural environment such as newspaper articles. Participants are ten adults who changed their food habits in relation to products of animal origin.

本博士论文以社会文化框架为研究路径，探讨饮食模式的变迁问题——该路径以个体与其所处环境之间的动态互构为核心起点。在此框架下，本文特别关注那些强调人类活动中对话性与社会物质性重要性的研究路径。为此，本文遴选若干适用于分析此类在世调适过程的概念工具，即定位、断裂/转型、责任与创造性。

本文借助上述理论框架所考察的现象，是个体层面的饮食模式建构，具体而言则是对动物源产品的质疑与拒斥——根据规避程度的不同，此类行为可被归类为素食主义或纯素主义。本文认为，该现象之所以极具研究价值，核心原因在于它处于动物伦理、环境影响与健康议题相关的社会争论与挑战的中心位置。

本文将饮食模式变迁概念化为个体在饮食景观（foodscape）——即围绕食品与饮食的话语与实践场域——中的重新定位过程，并提出以下研究问题：针对动物源产品调整饮食模式的人群，其围绕该类产品消费的定位动态机制为何？

为解答该研究问题，本文采用质性研究方法，以充分理解每种情境与人生轨迹的复杂性与动态性。本文提出一套结合叙事访谈、对话实验与影像观察的研究设计，并辅以收集报刊文章等社会文化环境相关资料。本研究的参与者为10名针对动物源产品调整了自身饮食习惯的成年人。