Vegan Consumer Community: Identities, Consumer Practices, and Rules of Interaction (the Case of "Vegan Fest")

This final research paper analyzes the designing of personal and collective identities of vegans, as well as the realization of these identities through consumer practices and rules of interaction. The aim of the work is to study how and by what practices the vegan identities are realized and what interaction rules are adopted both within the vegan / vegetarian community and with the non-vegans. During the study, it turns out that there is a concept of ideal veganism, which includes following all micro practices of veganism, the absence of failures and the conceptual separation of the ethical component of veganism and the vegan diet. However, due to certain social and infrastructural problems, the vegans have to deviate from the practices of the "ideal" veganism concept that they have constructed. These deviations are considered legitimate if they do not last long and do not generate production and reproduction of opposite vegan practices. In another case, this is considered as a failure. Vegans do not form a consolidated group with certain rules and sanctions, and therefore do not have a formed collective identity and cannot protect all members of the community. Vegans cannot cope with all the problems by themselves, and this paper points to the importance of studying vegan and veganism, as well as solving existing problems for the sake of creating a tolerant and comfortable social environment for this group. Key words: identity, identity construction, consumption, consumer practices, rules of interaction.