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ABSTRACT
Vegetarianism continues to gain prominence in contemporary society. This research uses a two-phase approach to further the understanding of this phenomenon. In the first phase, a phenomenological perspective is utilized to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations, tensions, and coping mechanisms underlying vegetarianism. The second phase builds upon this understanding and broadens the scope of the research by introducing the concept of vegetarian orientation. Here, survey methodology is employed to investigate the manner in which a person's demographic, attitudinal, and personality characteristics influence his/her vegetarian-oriented attitudes and behaviors. Findings and their marketing implications are discussed. (c) 2001 John Wiley &Sons, Inc.
Vegetarianism refers to a belief in and practice of eating foods obtained exclusively from the vegetable kingdom (Kleine &Hubbert, 1993). The term vegetarian was popularized in 1847 by the Vegetarian Society, a secular British organization that espoused the benefits of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle (Dwyer, 1988). Until recent times, the Society had a dif.cult time convincingfood manufacturers to create products suitable for non-meat eaters. However, more recently, the society has reported an escalation of requests from companies to use its distinctive "leaf" endorsement, which signifies that no animal products were used in the making of the food (Hoggan, 1989).
Numerous research studies highlight a trend toward greater consumption of vegetarian foods. For instance, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study found that, in 1979, only 1.2% of Americans classi.ed themselves as vegetarian. By 1994, this number had more than quintupled to 7% (Dietz, Frisch, Kalof, Stern, &Guagnano, 1995). The practice also appears to be growing among children, with one in twelve 8-17 year olds reportingabstinence from meat-based products (Notes, 1995). Further, studies indicate that even amongindividuals who do not consider themselves vegetarians, a growing number are becomingmore vegetarian-oriented (Krizmanic, 1992; Richter &Veverka, 1997). The authors of this study define vegetarian orientation as a continuum reflecting one's tendency to prefer greater vegetarian options relative to meat-based choices. Vegetarian-oriented individuals may thus eat some meat, but make conscious efforts to restrict their meat intake.
In light of the trends mentioned above, many mainstream food marketers have introduced a variety of vegetarian options such as veggie burgers and hot dogs (Richter &Veverka, 1997).1 Likewise, organizations such as restaurants and grocery stores are also starting...