Masculinities in transition: a life history study of the UK vegan activist movement

The entanglement of hegemonic masculinities with the exploitation/consumption of nonhuman animals is substantially contributing to, and presents a significant barrier to addressing, overlapping ecological crises. A just transition beyond the (m)Anthropocene is therefore reliant on egalitarian/ecological masculine transformation that is inclusive of a reorientation of (hu)Man–animal relations. Drawing on Life History interviews with self-identifying vegan activist men, this article explores whether the vegan activist movement in the United Kingdom provides a site for such masculine ecologisation. I argue that involvement in the vegan activist movement can act as a transformative moment in the way men perform masculinities, towards an ethic of care for nonhuman animals and marginalised humans. However, the article will show that the movement can simultaneously reinforce hegemonic masculinities, stemming from a lack of intersectional/feminist awareness among some men/organisations. I argue that when such hegemonic masculinities go unchallenged, due at least in part to organisational inequality regimes, both the movement’s effectiveness and transformative potential are reduced.