VEGANISM AS A CULTURAL AND IDENTITY PHENOMENON: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This article analyzes veganism as a cultural and identity phenomenon, exploring its implications in contemporary social, political, and cultural relations. The research adopts an anthropological approach and investigates how veganism goes beyond a food practice, functioning as a symbolic system that articulates ethical, environmental, and social values. The study examines veganism as a marker of social distinction, which transforms consumption norms and creates new dynamics of belonging. Using theories about identity, morality, and consumption, the research demonstrates how veganism challenges social norms and proposes a reconfiguration of cultural and social boundaries. In addition, it analyzes the practice as a critique of the hegemonic model of consumption, highlighting issues of social justice, animal rights, and environmental sustainability. The article reveals veganism as a transformative sociocultural force with the potential to influence public policies and promote social change, expanding the understanding of veganism as a collective phenomenon of symbolic reconfiguration in today's societies.