Animal and Vegan Advocacy: The Psychological Science and Practice of Attitude, Behavior, and Social Change

This book provides cutting-edge research on animal and vegan advocacy, addressing a defining moral contradiction of our time: even as concern for animals grows, their large-scale exploitation continues. How, then, does change for animals occur?

Bringing together leading behavioral and social scientists, this collection synthesizes insights from psychology and related disciplines with evidence from advocacy. The chapters explore how moral concern for animals is sparked or resisted, and why some people change while others defend existing practices. They map the pressure points where “normal” ways of treating animals begin to look less defensible, while revealing the social and psychological factors that sustain exploitation. The book also examines how change unfolds, showing how food environments, public discourse, and legal systems can reinforce or challenge animal exploitation.

This is essential reading for students and scholars in the social and behavioral sciences, as well as animal and vegan advocates, policymakers, and general readers interested in animal ethics and social change.