Cultural traditions such as Christmas influence the moral judgments of children about eating animals.
That's according to new research from the University of Exeter, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, which found childhood is a pivotal period for negotiating complex values around the cultural acceptability of eating meat.
Research shows young children generally display greater moral concern for animals than adults and often think it's not acceptable to eat them and struggle with the idea of eating animals they care for. However, when the cultural importance of a significant event – such as Christmas dinner or other traditional celebrations – is emphasised, children become more accepting of eating meat and increasingly justify meat consumption based on tradition rather than animal welfare.
Lead researcher and PhD student Alex Carter from the University of Exeter said: "Our research found children are highly attuned to social norms and group practices. By taking part in culturally significant events like Christmas, children learn to prioritise human needs and values over animal welfare and gradually align their moral reasoning with societal expectations.
"As children grow, repeated exposure to meat eating and cultural rituals leads to a shift in perspective. We found adolescents and adults show less variation in their moral reasoning of eating animals, finding it acceptable regardless of cultural context. They often focus on biological needs such as health and protein, or on the idea that eating meat is a longstanding tradition, rather than the moral status of animals. For them, meat eating becomes a routine practice, and additional cultural cues are no longer necessary to justify it."
The research was conducted across two studies, the first with 597 participants in the UK aged between eight and 85 years old (130 children, 145 adolescents, and 154 adults). The second study focused on 168 children aged four to seven. Participants were shown stories depicting scenarios where animals were eaten either during special occasions or in everyday contexts and then asked about the acceptability of eating those animals and the moral value of the animal eaten.
Researchers highlight the powerful role of cultural socialisation in shaping attitudes toward animals and food. Their findings suggest pairing plant-based foods with occasions of high human significance could be a promising strategy for promoting sustainable eating habits.
While the research provides valuable insights, the findings are limited by the focus on Western traditions such as Christmas. Researchers call for further exploration into how different cultural and religious practices influence moral development and food choices across societies.
The research was funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council through a studentship.
