The moral taste of food
Martina Drescher
Abstract
Abstract This paper analyses discussions about vegetarianism and veganism in francophone social media groups where moral statements play an important role. It sketches a communicative conception of morality as ‘doing ethics’ that zooms in on how morality emerges and is negotiated in interaction by concentrating on linguistic practices that key morality. Based on two case studies, it examines controversies about moral values of food which offer insights in the more general machinery of moral discourse. The data reveal different linguistic techniques which are frequent in, although not specific to, moral discourse. In particular, these are evaluations, pejorative or upgrading lexicon, deontic modality, generalisations, typical speech acts like advice or instruction as well as semantic and structural forms of intensification.