Hospitality and Hostility Relations between Vegans and Omnivores in Commensality Practices: The Vegan Perspective

Abstract

Veganism is based on the premise of excluding all forms of exploitation and cruelty towards animals, whether in food, clothing, or any other purpose, consequently leading to a series of challenges in social interaction. In the practice of commensality, different dietary stances can elicit reactions ranging from hospitality to hostility. This article, with a constructivist approach and qualitative character, aims to analyze commensal relations between vegan and omnivorous individuals from the perspective of hospitality and hostility, as seen through the eyes of vegan individuals. The study is based on a bibliographic review and semi-structured interviews with 12 vegan individuals. The results indicate the main challenges as being the acceptance of new habits by friends, family, and colleagues, as well as potential discomfort during moments of commensality, particularly due to the lack of available vegan foods. They also highlighted that actions of hospitality foster equally hospitable responses, while actions of hostility generate equally hostile reactions.