Diet and Masculinity? Vegan Males Considered Less Suitable and Capable For 'Masculine' Jobs, Study Reveals

While veganism is primarily a diet and a lifestyle, it was interestingly found to affect one's career prospects.

Veganism and Masculinity?

MailOnline reports that Polish experts observed that men who labeled their diets as vegan in job applications were perceived by potential employers as less competent and suitable. This was particularly true for jobs that were considered to be stereotypically male, including a financial analyst job.

However, meat consumption for women did not affect their career prospects, the researchers note. Findings were included in the Journal of Social Psychology.

While studies have shown that diet has been shown to reduce one's risk of developing type 2 diabetes or heart attacks, Polish researchers have observed that employers wrongly associate veganism among males with incapacity and incompetence.

MailOnline notes that only 1% of Poles identify as vegans or vegetarians, based on the most recent Eurostat database. Generally, Poland is considered conservative regarding how the country approaches veganism.

As part of the study, there were 838 random study participants who were presented with one out of eight different versions of a fictional CV of male and female job applicants. It covered various responses to the gender of the candidate and the role applied for.

In the section for hobbies, both "cooking" and "plant-based cooking" were included to distinguish vegans from non-vegans. Other basic information covered was prior experience and education related to the specific job role.

Half of the CVs were fictionally applying for the role of a psychologist, which is considered a stereotypical female job. The stereotypical male counterpart was for a financial analyst job role.

The researchers then asked the volunteers to judge each job application for over a minute prior to answering different questions about the applicant. Such questions gauged competence and perceptions of the applicants' warmth.

Respondents were also asked to answer questions pertaining to the candidate's suitability. A score of seven indicated a definite decision to hire the candidate, while a score of one reflected a definite decision to skip the application.

Interestingly, the researchers noted that vegan men were perceived as less capable compared to same-sex carnivores. Vegan men that applied for the financial analyst job had an average score of 4.26 and 4.77 for warmth and competence, respectively. On the other hand, meat eaters scored an average of 5.3 and 4.92.

On top of this, vegan men who passed their resumes for the role of psychologist had scores of 4.92 and 4.66 for warmth and competence, respectively.

The scientists note that it was generally observed that vegans that tried applying for a "stereotypically female position" were thought to be warmer than vegans that went for a "stereotypically male position."

Plant-Based Diet

In the past few years, interest in plant-based diets has skyrocketed. Vegans and vegetarians alike have cited environmental, ethical, and health reasons for opting for such plant-based alternatives.

Per Britannica, veganism refers to the practice and philosophy of abstaining from the use or consumption of animal products. Though some vegans only avoid foods that are animal-derived, several vegans also avoid items that have animal ingredients or have gone through animal testing.

According to the Vegan Society, there were roughly 600,000 vegans across the UK in 2019. A 2021 report also revealed that roughly a third of British individuals opt for plant-based milk, the Independent notes.

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