A Concordia University research team has mapped how vegans adapt socially when most people eat animal products, showing new social skills that can make or break sustained commitment to veganism. The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, tracked interviews and field observation between 2017 and 2022 ET. Researchers say the findings expose three distinct relational fractures and four coping strategies that shape everyday life for vegans.
Concordia University study: core findings and immediate implications
The Concordia University-led paper identifies three types of relational fracture: co-performance, co-learning and marketplace. Co-performance fractures emerge when shared practices like family meals change and non-vegan companions must accommodate new behaviors. Co-learning fractures happen inside vegan communities as newcomers clash over definitions and norms. Marketplace fractures reflect the scarcity of fully vegan options in most businesses and food venues.
Authors link those fractures to four social skills vegans use to survive and maintain their choices: decoding (explaining choices and learning labels and menus), decoupling (bringing or preparing separate food to avoid conflict), divesting (withdrawing from problematic food relationships), and ongoing community learning. The research traces these dynamics through interviews, festival and protest observation, and analysis of online posts and videos.
Immediate reactions: what the researchers said
“We wanted to look at these fractures from the vegan perspective, since most people are omnivorous and familiar with trying to accommodate others’ dietary needs, ” said Zeynep Arsel, professor in the Department of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business. Arsel is listed as a co-author of the study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Lead author Aya Aboelenien, now an associate professor at HEC Montréal, described the fieldwork. Between 2017 and 2022 ET she conducted interviews, attended vegan festivals, protests and sit-ins and examined online discussions to observe how vegans managed interpersonal strains. Aboelenien stated many participants retreated from veganism because persistent stress in personal relationships made the lifestyle unsustainable.
Researchers note that decoding often requires vegans to translate menus, labels and social expectations for non-vegans. Decoupling can preserve shared space without shared food. Divesting is a last resort for those unwilling to compromise.
What’s next: follow-ups and practical outlook
Researchers suggest the next steps are practical outreach and design: better public education, clearer labeling and more vegan-friendly marketplace options to reduce marketplace fracture. The study points toward community-level interventions that could make it easier for vegans to sustain their choices without severing ties. Journal reviewers highlighted how the work on co-learning could inform how communities ease newcomers into new ethical practices.
News teams and researchers may now track whether these social skills shift as plant-based options expand and whether the decoding, decoupling and divesting patterns relax when businesses and families adapt. For now, the Concordia University paper frames veganism not only as a dietary decision but as a set of social negotiations that determine whether people stay vegan in everyday life.
