SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND CAPITALIST INTERVENTION: ANALYZING THE #VEGANOL HASHTAG

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 26, 690 - 711, 30.12.2024

Şeyma Esin Erben , Ilker İnmez

https://doi.org/10.58884/akademik-hassasiyetler.1498439

Öz

Veganism is a philosophy of life that centres on animal rights and freedom. However, it has been transformed into a trendy lifestyle through various approaches, such as promoting healthy living. The increasing number of vegans worldwide and the rising vegan product market are driving veganism towards a framework that excludes animal slavery and exploitation. Similarly, the significant growth in the number of vegans in Turkey is prompting companies to increase their interest in vegan products and services.
This study examines the types of profiles using the #veganol (#govegan) tag and the relationship between content and capitalist commercial companies. In this context, content analysis was conducted on 273 Instagram posts with the #veganol tag shared by users between April 2023 and 2024. According to the research results, a significant amount of vegan-related content using the tag supports capitalist consumption and focuses mainly on veganism in terms of food. However, both commercial companies and a significant portion of users tend to separate veganism from the context of animal rights and animal freedom. This study critically discusses the rapidly growing plant-based industries in the context of digital communication and activism with an interdisciplinary approach.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Social media, Vegan, Corporate veganism, Activism

TOPLUMSAL DEĞİŞİM İÇİN SOSYAL MEDYA SAVUNUCULUĞU VE KAPİTALİST MÜDAHALE: #VEGANOL ETİKETİ ANALİZİ

Öz

Veganlık, hayvan hakları ve hayvan özgürlüğünü odağına alan bir yaşam felsefesidir. Diğer yandan, sağlıklı yaşam gibi yaklaşımlarla farklı biçimlerde uygulanmakta olan pratiklere indirgenerek geçici bir yaşam tarzına dönüştürülmektedir. Dünyada giderek artan vegan sayısı, vegan ürün piyasasının canlanmasıyla veganlığı hayvan köleliği ve sömürüsünü içermeyen bir çerçeveye taşımaktadır. Dünyaya paralel olarak, Türkiye’deki vegan sayısındaki büyük artış, şirketlerin vegan ürün ve hizmetlere yönelik ilgisinin artmasına neden olmaktadır.
Bu çalışmada, sosyal medyada sıklıkla kullanılan #veganol etiketinin Instagram’da ne tür içeriklerde kullanıldığı ve bu içeriklerin kapitalist ticari şirketlerle ilişkisi tartışılmaktadır. Bu bağlamda 2023-2024 Nisan tarihleri arasında #veganol etiketiyle paylaşılan 273 Instagram gönderisine içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre bu etiketin kullanıldığı veganlıkla ilgili içeriklerin önemli bir bölümü, kapitalist tüketimi desteklemekte ve bunda da yemek ve beslenmeyi kullanmaktadır. Bununla beraber hem ticari şirketler hem de kullanıcıların önemli bir bölümü tarafından veganlık, hayvan hakları ve hayvan özgürlüğü bağlamından koparılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, hızla büyüyen bitki bazlı endüstrilerin, dijital iletişim ve aktivizm bağlamında disiplinler arası bir yaklaşımla eleştirel olarak tartışmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Sosyal medya, Vegan, Şirket veganizmi, Aktivizm

Kaynakça

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