Arnold Arluke, Brute Force: Animal Police and the Challenge of Cruelty

Abstract

Animals have been an important part of human society since time immemorial. Whether it is in association with hunting, exploiting them for their potential labor, or valuing them for the roles they play in providing comfort to humans, animals have been and are deeply embedded within human society. The treatment of animals by humans has even served as a marker for the “civilizing” trends of modern society. For instance, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), founded in 1866 in New York City, preceded the institutionalization of the first child welfare agency, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The ASPCA led crusades against cruelty to animals and lobbied for legislation to protect a broad range of animals, years before the initiation of efforts to protect children. Similarly, some of the first environmental laws in the US were directed at regulating game animals and wildlife. What animals could be hunted and the “purpose” of hunting, whether for sport or for market profiteering, were subject to legal control. From a sociological perspective, these and other initiatives regarding animals speak volumes about the values and ideologies evident within human society. For several years, sociologists conducting human-animal studies have offered fresh insights into what the treatment of animals means for human society and social order. Whether it’s understanding animals for their potential to assist in the construction of the self, the relationship between animals and social problems such as inequality or violence, the occupational lives and careers of animal workers, or the significance of animals to social movements and social conflict, this work has explored themes central to mainstream sociology. Arluke’s book, Brute Force: Animal Police and the Challenge of Cruelty, provides further evidence of the value of sociological inquiry into human-animal relationships. Arluke offers a richly textured, and at times deeply disturbing, ethnography of the occupational practices, roles, and ideologies of humane law enforcement officers as they encounter, investigate, and prosecute incidents of animal cruelty. Like all skilled ethnographers, Arluke gained access to the subjective worldviews of his subjects by becoming an active participant in their daily