As a dietitian involved in vegan education, I found this book absolutely fascinating. It's written for meat eaters and explores the ways in which "carnists" avoid the moral discomfort inherent in viewing some animals as pets and others as food. Carnists embrace what Joy calls the three Ns of justification: Eating meat is normal, natural, and necessary --the very same justifications that have been used to defend every exploitative system in history, including African slavery and efforts to deny voting rights to women.
Until now, carnism as a belief system has not been named because it is the norm in our society. It's mainstream--which is simply a way of describing an ideology that is so widespread and entrenched that its practices are regarded as "common sense." Ideologies that fall outside the mainstream--like vegetarianism--on the other hand, are easier to recognize.
More importantly, though, the way in which entrenched ideologies remain entrenched is by staying invisible. And the primary way in which they stay invisible is by staying unnamed. "If we don't name it, we can't talk about it," Joy says. "and if we can't talk about it, we can't question it."
Carnism depends on another type of invisibility as well. The agricultural industry goes to great lengths to protect the secrets of how animals are raised for food on modern factory "farms." The system is necessarily cruel because, from a business standpoint, animal welfare is a barrier to profit. Producers don't want consumers to see these cruelties, nor do consumers want to see them.
Joy identifies the cognitive defenses that carnists employ, and suggests that, because empathy appears to be hardwired in our brains, carnistic defenses may actually go against our nature. We cannot be wholly integrated if we care about animals but support widespread animal cruelty. Joy is honest about the difficulties involved in closing the gap between values and behavior, but she is encouraging about the benefits to the individual, and practical in her recommendations.
Based on research in the field of psychology, including Joy's own, this book is a thought-provoking analysis of how meat eating has become so entrenched as to over-ride what people actually believe and hold valuable. Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows is highly recommended for both vegetarians and carnists and for anyone interested in the psychology of food choices.
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Reviews with images
I received the wrong book?
I was under the impression that I was ordering the book, "why we love dogs, eat pigs, and wear cows" and I revived this book, "attitudes of gratitude." What's going on?
Top reviews from other countries
Veronika Dimitrova
A good start if you want to underdtand carnism
Reviewed in France on November 22, 2018slavica erman
A great way to promote a more empathetic lifestyle
Reviewed in Italy on March 25, 2018
Angie Rose
Part of the cover has been torn off & this is a gift
Reviewed in Australia on November 26, 2023
Angie Rose
Reviewed in Australia on November 26, 2023
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