26 June 2025

By Emma Davidson

It is a common misconception that our ancestors in the stone age divided their work based on sex and gender. Men were to hunt and women were to gather fruits and vegetables, as well as looking after the children… of course. There have been studies that contradict this though; these more recent studies show that women did in fact partake in hunting. This may change many people’s views on men and women’s roles in society, because it can no longer be said that men’s bodies were “made for” hunting, because women’s bodies were too! The evidence that women were hunters too changes a lot about correlations between meat and men or vegetables and women. The link between eating meat and being masculine has already carved our society deeply and I want to look at the mechanisms of the meat-masculinity link.

Lauren Camilleri’s study found no correlation between “masculine norms” and meat-eating, although they did find a link between (self-proclaimed) “playboys” and meat-eating and the intention to eat meat. Another study says that many aspects influence the link between masculinity and meat consumption. In this study, traditional and non-traditional masculinities and not only the actual meat consumption, but also the willingness to eat meat were asserted. Many men said that “real men” were supposed to eat meat, many western cultures generally perceive meat eating as something masculine and vegetarian and meat-alternative based diets are seen as “feminine”. Most men in western societies are in some way influenced by traditional masculinities and those who strongly conform are less likely to eat less meat. There are men who do not live out (oder embrace?)the traditional masculinity and these men tend to eat less meat and show a greater willingness to reduce their meat consumption.

The relationship between (traditional) masculinity and meat consumption can be traced back to (a number of?) different sources. For example, traditional ideals like physical toughness, high social status and emotional control can be motivators for meat consumption. It has also been shown that meat-eating people tend to be more open towards violence in general and some men may eat more meat to enhance their sexual appeal, because many traditional women find it attractive when men eat meat.

When talking about meat it is crucial to say that meat is destroying the planet. According to Greenpeace, the meat industry is the leading force in deforestation and consequential carbon emissions. Other problems including wildlife degradation and social injustices increase due to the meat industry. Because our planet is struggling as it is, it should be a priority to protect its resources and reducing meat consumption would be a big step in the right direction. But sadly, many people do not want to eat less meat.

In conclusion it can be said that there is some form of link between masculinity and meat consumption. Especially when looking at traditional masculinities it can be seen that meat consumption is strongly linked to perceived manlihood, aggression and toughness. In order to reduce ecological degradation, animal cruelty and social injustice there is a need to decrease meat consumption. But to achieve this goal is to challenge traditional values and masculinities or perhaps even break them down. Masculinities have been challenged over the last decades and there are infinite ways of “being a man”. Even if you are not a man, it may be worth to break through societal norms and just be yourself.

Further reading:

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/new/why-meat-is-bad-for-the-environment/

Sarah Lacy, Cara Ocobock. Woman the hunter:The archeological evidence. American Anthropologist. 2023

Lauren Camilleri et al. Understanding the Meat-Masculinity Link: Traditional and Non-Traditional Masculine Norms Predicitng Men’s Meat Consumption. Ecology of Food And Nutrition. 2024