Vegan sociology is a critical sociology for a multispecies, climate-conscious 21st century society

What is it about?

My central aim as a social science researcher is to challenge and advance the field of sociology. In the past twenty years, the subfield of Animals & Society has steadily grown, expanding into a number of monographs, professional associations, and university courses. However, in an effort to gather momentum and maintain influence as a vulnerable new sociological discipline, it has been open to a wide variety of perspectives and positions regarding Nonhuman Animals, not all of which are in line with sociology’s ethical commitment to the dignity and rights of its constituency. From this motley discourse, a community of radical sociologists has emerged to champion a contemporary vegan perspective, one that aligns with the core values of sociology but pushes the field to reconsider long-withstanding discriminatory practices in theory, teaching, and research. Vegan sociology argues that Nonhuman Animals are persons in their own right, their oppression is worthy of academic (and activist) attention, and their oppression deeply intersects with the oppression of other marginalized groups such as women, people of color, and lower-class persons.

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Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash

Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Vegan sociology examines intersectional feminism, Critical Animal Studies, and sociological theory to advance veganism and anti-speciesism as an ethical imperative in the discipline. It aims to increase the visibility and legitimacy of nonhuman experiences and remodel sociological practice to accommodate a multispecies society. Vegan sociology is essential for analyzing the horrors of speciesist pasts and presents, but it is vital, too, in its imagination for change. It is not merely a disheartening theory of oppression; it is an inspiring theory of total liberation as well.

Perspectives