The “V” Word: An Inquiry into Vegan Student Experience in Calgarian Schools

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atmire.migration.oldid5494
dc.contributor.advisorField, James Colin
dc.contributor.authorThirukkumaran, Meneka Rosanna
dc.contributor.committeememberBurwell, Catherine
dc.contributor.committeememberNocella II, Anthony
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-27T14:19:53Z
dc.date.available2017-04-27T14:19:53Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017en
dc.description.abstractIn this study, I conducted focus group research to examine the school experience of vegan youths. This research was situated in the context of Albertan traditions and values, which emphasize rugged cowboy imagery and have been especially hostile towards vegans and vegetarians. Additionally, little is known about the school experience of vegan children and young adults. The majority of studies dealing with youth veganism primarily attend to whether or not nutritional needs are being adequately met. Furthermore, the field of education has been largely anthropocentric, with no dominant curricular theorists discussing the significance of nonhuman animals in relation to human learning. The field of Critical Animal Studies has recently begun to theorize nonhumans back into pedagogical frameworks, but the experience of vegan students has not (until this study) been examined. I chose to study how this group of students experience school because I believe that their viewpoints can help to better inform curricular policies and practices. I conducted focus group research with ten vegan students who attended Calgarian public schools. I used an interview guide with semi-structured questions to help lead discussions. Throughout this process, I focused on elevating the position of students to theorists, with valid concerns and recommendations for the field of education. After analyzing the transcriptions of the focus group sessions, I discovered that these students discussed their veganism through three interconnected domains: society, identity, and school. Curricular findings specifically fell into explicit, implicit, and null curricular themes. I was also surprised to find significant differences between lower and higher grades. Ultimately, this study revealed a need for curricular reform and for practitioners to be cognizant of alternative, non-dominant viewpoints. In particular, students emphasized a need for strong relationships with family, peers, and teachers in order to feel better supported in their veganism. Further research into the area of vegan student experience is recommended.en_US
dc.identifier.citationThirukkumaran, M. R. (2017). The “V” Word: An Inquiry into Vegan Student Experience in Calgarian Schools (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28421en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/28421
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3739
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEducation--Curriculum and Instruction
dc.subject.otherCritical Animal Studies
dc.subject.otherCritical Discourse Analysis
dc.subject.otherhumane education
dc.subject.otherveganism.
dc.titleThe “V” Word: An Inquiry into Vegan Student Experience in Calgarian Schools
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Research
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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