Veganism and anarchism are burgeoning worldwide, yet very few studies have examined the psychological characteristics of people belonging to these two anti-oppression groups. A study of 180 adults who self-identify as vegans or anarchists completed a personality profiles questionnaire. The results suggest that veganism and anarchism attract advocates with distinct personality profiles. In terms of personality traits, vegans scored higher on the 'Conscientiousness, Emotionality, and Honesty–Humility' dimensions than anarchists did, while Anarchists scored higher than vegans on 'Openness to Experience and Psychopathy'.
SOPHIE DESJARDINS: Veganism and anarchism are burgeoning worldwide, yet very few studies have examined the psychological characteristics of people belonging to these two anti-oppression groups… According to a study by North et al., vegans tend to embrace the definition proposed by the Vegan Society: “veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” Vegans therefore refrain from eating meat, dairy products, eggs, and honey, wearing leather or wool, using cosmetics or hygiene products tested on animals, visiting zoos, and watching rodeos or bullfights. The vegan lifestyle is opposed to the oppression of animals that stems from speciesism, that is, the discriminatory view (on a par with racism or sexism) that one species (humans) has moral superiority over another (animals), hence the idea that the species perceived as inferior can be instrumentalized by the presumably superior species.
Anarchists oppose oppression, specifically of humans. They reject hierarchies, repression and inequality, and advocate instead for horizontal relationships, liberation, and egalitarianism. Accordingly, they argue for anti-capitalism and anti-globalization, and aim to liberate individuals from political domination and economic exploitation by encouraging direct rather than governmental democracy. They also aim to combat racism, sexism, and fascism…
What vegans and anarchists have in common is that they are both considered extreme groups in society, since they are both located at the end of continuums. The first continuum is that of dietary habits (vegan diet for vegans), while the second is that of political orientations (extreme left-wing for anarchists). As part of these extreme groups, both vegans and anarchists may be perceived negatively by the general population because of the threat they pose to the status quo and owing to their portrayal in the media. Williams contends that popular media tends to provide incomplete or inaccurate information about more radical social movements (such as veganism or anarchism). However, although vegans and anarchists are both anti-oppression groups, their associated stereotypes differ. In particular, vegans are described as “moralistic,” “eccentric”, “overbearing,” “intolerant,” and “pretentious,” but also “healthy,” “compassionate,” “dedicated,” and “self-controlled”. Anarchists, in contrast, are caricatured as being associated with violence, chaos, and naiveté.
Vegans and anarchists might exhibit divergent personality traits, be it according to the Big Five model (Neuroticism, e.g., worrying, emotional, insecure; Extraversion, e.g., sociable, person-oriented, affectionate; Agreeableness, e.g., trusting, helpful, forgiving; Conscientiousness, e.g., organized, self-disciplined, scrupulous; and Openness, e.g., curious, creative, untraditiona), the six-dimensional HEXACO model (Honesty–Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience), or the Dark Triad (Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and Narcissism). To date, we know that vegans have personality traits that differ from those of non-vegans, and that the personality traits of individuals on the political left diverge from people on the political right. This current state of knowledge may make it possible, albeit indirectly, to put forth hypotheses concerning the personalities of vegans compared with those of anarchists…
This study investigated whether vegans and anarchists, on the one hand, and activists and non-activists belonging to these two groups, on the other hand, exhibit distinct personality profiles. To this end, a sample of 180 adults who self-identify as vegans or anarchists completed an online socio-demographic questionnaire, the HEXACO Personality Inventory, and the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen. A discriminant function analysis showed that anarchists are more likely than vegans to self-identify as belonging to a gender other than female or male, or to identify with no gender at all. Further, the proportion of men was larger in the anarchist group than in the vegan group. In terms of personality traits, vegans scored higher on the Conscientiousness, Emotionality, and Honesty–Humility dimensions than anarchists did. Anarchists scored higher than vegans on Openness to Experience and Psychopathy. Activists and non-activists were not distinguished based on gender or personality traits. While the dynamics of power and oppression toward humans and toward animals share common factors, the present results suggest that veganism and anarchism attract anti-oppression advocates with distinct personality profiles. SOURCE…
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