Animal Rights Issues Research Articles

LA SPECIALE NATURA DEI SOGNI E I DIRITTI DEGLI ANIMALI NEI <em>TRÄUME</em> DI JOHANN GOTTLOB KRÜGER (1754)

Without a doubt, the issue of animal rights has now become part of the socio-cultural perspective in a much stronger moral and legal sense than in the past, in the wake of the “animal turn” of the early 90s of the last century. One aspect that has been most debated since ancient times is, however, whether animals have a soul and whether the lack of speech can be considered a symptom of a completely inferior capacity for reasoning. The era of the European Enlightenment certainly showed a peak of interest in this debate, especially on the basis of scientific experiments carried out on animals, but also on the basis of reflections on the natural law of living beings. In Germany, as part of the medical studies in Halle, Johann Gottlob Krüger distinguished himself for having grasped the importance of the considerations - albeit sometimes paradoxical - that had emerged in the context of several interdisciplinary symposiums held in Leipzig at the beginning of the years’ 40 of the eighteenth century on the theme of the soul of animals. The classical philologist Johann Heinrich Winkler had published them later, in 1745, in a volume entitled Philosophische Untersuchungen von dem Seyn und Wesen der Seelen der Thiere […], already preceded by another from 1742, dedicated to a similar topic. The point of interest, however, consists in the particular literary strategy with which Krüger returns these debates of an academic nature, taking advantage of the register of satire to make animals and men and animals of various species interact with each other. In the fictitious dimension of the dream, in which the Hallense physician situates these disputes, it is possible to retrace the various theoretical stages that in the philosophical field accompanied the development of the vexata quaestio relating to the soul of animals, reviewing the positions of Girolamo Rorario (1485-1556), of the surgeon Girolamo Fabrici d’Acquapendente (1533-1619), of Montaigne (1533-1592), of Descartes (1596-1650) and of the iatroteologist Michael Alberti (1682-1757). What matters most, however, are the absurd theoretical justifications that human thought pushes to legitimize its unfair attitude towards the animal world, well highlighted in Krüger’s literary dreams.

Class Treatment of Animals in the Novels of Anne Bronte

The 19th century represents a crucial epoch in the nascent field of animal studies, garnering the interest of scholars and writers from a variety of disciplines. The Victorian era initiated a discussion regarding the status of animals, a topic that endures in modern times. Anne Bronte, a prominent English Victorian author, presents her perspective on the contentious issue of animal rights in her literary works. The extent to which Bronte's characters respect, sympathize with, and look out for the well-being of animals is most evident in her novels. Through her straightforward portrayal of animals and their connections to people's social status, she shows how middle-class culture emerges in her novels. Anne Bronte's two novels, The Tenant of Widfell Hall and Agnes Grey, both feature animal writing, highlighting the vital part that an animal-centric worldview plays in the formation and maintenance of middle-class identities and traditions. Bronte’s protagonists come from the upper and middle classes, and these two socioeconomic groups clearly contrast in their treatment of animals. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to further our understanding of Anne Bronte's animal writing by analyzing its role in the formation of middle-class culture.

Spurring and sustaining online consumer activism: the role of cause support and brand relationship in microlevel action frames

Research suggests that social media consumer activism can be motivated through multiple microlevel action frames (MAFs – or simply, microframes). In this study, we examine an online consumer activism campaign against the supermarket chain Carrefour in Brazil and develop a typology of microframes that emerged during this episode of consumer activism. We leverage Twitter data to illustrate the distinction between cause-oriented (centered on animal rights issues) and brand-oriented MAFs (emphasizing consumer disappointment in Carrefour) and examine their influence on the emergence of other online consumer activism microframes. Our findings reveal the complex interplay between cause support (cause-oriented MAF) and perceptions of a brand transgression (brand-oriented MAF) to galvanize collective action. We theorize the roles of distinct MAFs in spurring and sustaining consumers’ online mobilization. Practical recommendations for brand managers are discussed.

Animal Protection Laws & Challenges in India

Animal welfare and protection is of the significant public interest, bio-diversity and for sustaining ecological balance of the earth, globally as well as within India. This article promptly focuses upon the challenges, legislations and reforms which deal with the nonhuman animals in the present time and moreover the optimistic approaches to tackle the critical issues faced by animals as a whole in addition to make humans realize the importance of nonhuman species on the earth and to make them more zoophilic and animal friendly. Firstly, the article will be dealing with the animal rights issues in India including beliefs, culture and practices of human activities endangering animal lives. Secondly, the article will focus upon legislations and laws for the protection of wildlife. Thirdly, article points upon approaches and necessary actions that could be taken to minimize cruelty against animals. Finally, the article will be ending with the empirical conclusion to enhance the position of the animals in India.

Three “ecological monsters” in Bong Joon-Ho’s films

As Parasite wins four Oscar awards at 2019 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, more film scholars and critics pay more attention to the South Korean film industry, particularly to the film director, Bong Joon-Ho. Regarding biospheric harmony, the director depicts “ecological monsters” in his works, namely toxic chemical waste, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and cruelty towards animals, and the frozen earth caused by global warming. By having a close reading and textual analysis on The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013), and Okja (2016), the research will focus on those films directed by Bong Joon-Ho, which represent the horrific environmental issues. Particularly, the authors will investigate how the three films depict the discourses of ecological problems. The results show how strong messages regarding ecological issues are represented in the three films, metaphorically and literally and become valuable lessons for environmentalists and film scholars/filmmakers. The Host depicts a monster made by “biological terror”, namely toxic waste, which is the real threat metaphor in real life and based on the actual ecological disaster. Okja reveals the horror side of the meat industry, particularly the ones with GMOs, and issues of vegetarianism and animal rights. Meanwhile, Snowpiercer is a story of survivors that portray the impact of global warming in the cold and frozen ear.

Animal Welfare and Animal Rights

AbstractVeterinarians routinely position themselves as the professionals who are most knowledgeable about non-human animals, and the public turns to them for guidance in matters of animal health and welfare. However, as research indicates, there is a considerable gap between what the public thinks veterinarians know and the actual veterinary curriculum. This study investigates the perspectives of veterinary students towards issues of animal welfare and animal rights, based on the results of a 2012 survey. Results indicate that veterinary students have limited and narrow understandings of both concepts, and that their knowledge is shaped by their professional socialization in veterinary education. Despite the enormous ethical complexity and diversity of philosophical perspectives that are inherent to both animal welfare and animal rights positions, veterinary students typically are not adequately prepared for a career that is located at the very center of these debates.

To Eat or Not to Eat Kangaroo: Bargaining over Food Choice in the Anthropocene

To Eat or Not to Eat Kangaroo: Bargaining over Food Choice in the Anthropocene

Reclaiming Indigenous Identity through Animal Advocacy In Art

The buffalo is an animal of utmost importance in many Plains Indigenous tribes that holds great historical and spiritual significance. This paper analyzes the representation of the buffalo in the artworks of First Nations artists Adrian Stimson and Dana Claxton, with excerpts from an exclusive interview with Stimson. Through an observation of cross-species encounters in the work of Stimson and Claxton, this paper demonstrates how art can be used as a medium for animal advocacy by situating the non-human within a cultural context, which contributes to the concept of human identity and illustrates alternative Niitsapi perspectives. Posthumanist thought, as well as Indigenous perspectives on human and non-human relations that challenge the decolonizing of posthumanist ideals, will frame the arguments posed in this paper to explore issues of colonial trauma, Indigenous identity, and animal rights.

Anti-anthropomorphism and Its Limits.

There is a diffuse sentiment that to anthropomorphize is a mild vice that people tend to do easily and pleasingly, but that an adult well educated person should avoid. In this paper it will be provided an elucidation of “anthropomorphism” in the field of common sense knowledge, the issue of animal rights, and about the use of humans as a model in the scientific explanation. It will be argued for a “constructive anthropomorphism,” i.e., the idea that anthropomorphism is a natural attitude to attribute human psychological features to other individuals, no matter they are actually rational agents, or not. If we know the “grammar” of this attitude, we can avoid the risks in overestimatinasg the environmental inputs toward anthropomor-phism and, at the same time, take the heuristic advantages of anthropomor-phism in the use of human mind as a model for both everyday circumstances and scientific enterprise.

Bringing the calf back from the dead: video activism, the politics of sight and the New Zealand dairy industry

In New Zealand one of the most significant animal rights issues is the systemic cruelty inherent in the dairy industry. This article presents a review of video activism as a strategy by activists in New Zealand to educate the public about the brutal and oppressive realities of dairy practices. To illustrate we offer a case study of an anti-dairy campaign in 2015 that was based on activist video work. This campaign was led by key animal rights groups SAFE and Farmwatch and was called The Dark Side of Dairy. In this case, video footage captured by activists was used to provide counter narratives to the dominant discourses of dairying and to educate the public about their consumption practices. We argue that dominant discourses of dairying are powerful shapers of public consciousness and based on welfarist ideology and myths of the rural Romantic Arcadia. To illustrate the strength of these dominant understandings we employ critical discourse analysis (CDA) and semiotic analysis. In teasing out the ways in which discourses of dairy farming have been constructed in New Zealand, we demonstrate the power of political forces in preserving the status quo around dairying. This paper concludes that the role of animal rights video activism lies primarily in educating the public to think more deeply and critically about human-animal relations and the depravations of dairy farming. It is the basis for a pedagogy of conscientization. We conclude that conscientization of the underpinning exploitative relations of animal agriculture can occur with the aid of witness to the animal’s suffering conveyed through the medium of video.

Okrucieństwo wobec zwierząt z punktu widzenia psychologii i filozofii — zarys problemu

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY — AN OUTLINE OF THE PROBLEMThe issue of animal rights is one of the most important problems facing society today. Topicality and relevance of topics covered in relation to the protection of animals are not in doubt, which still remind lively discussions on the rights of animals. In our opinion, the discourse about animals and their rights plays essential role in the issue of animal cruelty. This article focuses on the psychological and philosophical aspects of animal cruelty.

Etyczne i prawne aspekty dopuszczalności przeprowadzania doświadczeń na zwierzętach

ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE ADMISSIBILITY OF CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALSArticle devoted to the legal and ethical acceptability of scientific researches using animal-based models. Philosophical and legal approach to the issue of animal rights has along history and underwent significant changes. The legal status of animals and the issue of preventing the suffering of the animals are still the subject of social controversy. Against this background, there is adebate on the scope of the necessary regulations. One of them is the issue of animal testing governed by the Law of 21 January 2005 on animal experiments. The solutions adopted in the Act are to reduce animal suffering and to adjust Polish law to the requirements of the European Union law.

User de pesticides pour contrôler les espèces invasives : les facettes d’un paradoxe éthique

Use of pesticides in invasive species control : facets of an ethical paradox. The control of invasive species impacting environment or human health sometimes involves the use of lethal chemicals. Yet, while the interest of pesticides in invasive species control is undeniable, their impact should not be overlooked. From year to year the use of rodenticides with a low selectivity (e. g. brodicafoum or 1080), of persistent insecticides such as neonicotinoids and of systemic herbicides (e. g. glyphosate) actually concerns more and more large areas. The literature provides many examples of negative side effects on biodiversity or human health that should be more transparently reported. Risk assessment of pesticide use remains incomplete for invasive species, and the risk-benefit approach that would impose is still lacking. This use of pesticides involves an ethical paradox since it is part of an approach which aims to protect wildlife, and since in the context of public health policy, it sometimes puts people to new health risks. In general, the effectiveness of pesticides in the control of invasive species also remains poorly evaluated. It seems imperative to put the citizen at the heart of decision-making or at least to advocate greater transparency regarding all the expected benefits and risks. Similarly, ethics gap aroused from the use of pesticides is to evaluate. It is not justifiable that the issue of animal rights is so much departed from vertebrate control programs. Imposed suffering to these animals is a reality and it is not for scientists to decide alone what in our relations with the animal, is acceptable or not. The field of invasive species should not be an exception in global discussions conducted on pesticides. However, the representation that invasive species escape to nature as we think it should be, contributes to validate the use of resources normally prohibited in natural areas. We must continue to wonder about the basis for these breaches of environmental protection and environmental ethics. They correspond to a rejection of values that are not so shared by our communities.

PEGDA hydrogels as a replacement for animal tissues in mucoadhesion testing

Utilization of animal parts in ex-vivo mucoadhesion assays is a common approach that presents many difficulties due to animal rights issues and large variance between animals. This study examines the suitability of two PEGDA (poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) based hydrogels to serve as tissue mimetics for mucoadhesion evaluation. One hydrogel, termed PEGDA-QT, was composed of pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) and PEG and contained free thiol groups mimicking those found in natural mucosa. The other hydrogel was formed by UV (ultraviolet) curing of PEGDA and mimicked the mechanical property of mucosa but not its chemical constitute. When ranking different first generation mucoadhesive polymers using a tensile assay, both hydrogels showed good agreement with the ranking achieved for porcine small intestine. However, only PEGDA-QT and porcine small intestine shared a similar displacement curve. The same ranking for PEGDA-QT and porcine small intestine was also observed when comparing a second-generation mucoadhesive polymer, thiolated alginate, to native alginate. Our findings suggest that PEGDA-QT could serve as a replacement for porcine small intestine in both mucoadhesion evaluations using a tensile machine and the flow-through method for first and second-generation mucoadhesive polymers.

"Sonder siel en anoniem": Elisabeth Eybers se "Huiskat" in die konteks van dierestudies

In hierdie artikel word die bekende gedig van Elisabeth Eybers, "Huiskat" uit haar bundel Die helder halfjaar (1956) geanaliseer in die konteks van dierestudies. Aandag word geskenk aan aspekte soos die verhouding tussen die mensdier (of menslike dier) as spreker teenoor die niemensdier (of niemenslike dier) as ander; en veral die projeksie van antropomorfiese eienskappe op die niemensdier word uitgelig. In aansluiting by Woodward (2003) en Derrida (2008) word die interaksie tussen mensdier en niemensdier beskou om, onder meer, vas te stel of daar sprake is van 'n intersomatiese verwantskap tussen die twee (Woodward 2014). Bestaande voorbeelde van dierestudies word betrek, en die aard, konteks en definisie van 'n geesteswetenskaplike ondersoek soos dierestudies word ook toegelig.

Household Words and the Smithfield Controversy

Victorians Journal 31 Household Words mio the Smithfield Controversy by Ronald Morrison Animals, so often invested with powerful and complex symbolic significance, remained present in a literal sense for Victorian writers in ways that are not entirely imaginable for twenty-first-century readers. Animals are omnipresent in Dickens’s fiction andjoumalism, just as they were omnipresent in Victorian culture, from the countryside to the very heart of the London metropolis. Why Dickens expressed concern for animals’ suffering remains open to speculation, although an initial answer is that animals provide an index of human suffering and, more abstractly, for the Condition of England. Through his dual roles as writer for and editor of Household Words, Dickens actively engaged with the humane—specifically, animal rights—issues marking the mid-Victorian era. This analysis is based on a series of articles from the early 1850s advocating the relocation of London’s Smithfield Market from the old City to the suburbs. Scholars of Dickens’s journalism often categorize these articles under the general heading of “sanitary reform,” since his treatment of Smithfield includes dire warnings about contagious diseases spreading through London sewers because of the offal dumped from the surrounding market. But these articles, written by Dickens and others in the first few volumes ofHousehold Words (HW), reveal that concern for the humane treatment of animals had become mainstream by mid­ nineteenth century, a position that both reflected and shaped middle-class readers’ sensibilities. In certain respects, //IT’s humane ideology expresses many of the common elements marking Victorian discourse about animals: the policing of the poor, the enforcement of middle-class values, and the exploitation of the symbolic value ofanimals to promote British superiority. In addition, these articles challenge some key elements of humane ideology and use the specter of international competition and generalized fears ofsocial degeneration to argue for the relocation of Smithfield, suggesting a more general reconsideration of humans’ interaction with animals. Dickens’s attitudes toward animals are difficult to characterize. In his history ofthe RSPCA, Arthur Moss claims Dickens was “a member and a great supporter” of the organization (46) but offers little evidence to bolster the claim. In 1864, the RSPCA invited him to speak at its meeting in Rochester; while politely declining the offer due to a busy schedule, Dickens notes: “I have a high opinion of the Society you represent, and believe that it does a great deal of good” {Letters 10: 359). Nevertheless, it seems likely that Dickens would remain suspicious of an organization classified by Henry Mayhew as a “Repressive and Punitive” agency targeting the poor and working classes (xxxiv). Regardless of the exact nature or degree of Dickens’s support for the RSPCA or other humane organizations, it was impossible for a writer attuned to both popular culture and the history of reform 32 Victorians Journal legislation in England to remain unaware of attempts to craft animal protection legislation, as well as the high profile activities ofthe RSPCA and its leaders. Like other Londoners, Dickens was aware of the problems created by Smithfield Market.1 A popular tourist attraction that posed certain threats to its residents, Smithfield appears with some regularity in his fiction and journalism, which echo complaints expressed in other HW articles.1 2 It was in the late 1840s and early 1850s that concerns over Smithfield came to a head. Reformers grew increasingly distressed over the noisy, bloody spectacle of the sprawling market and surrounding slaughterhouses, concerns expressed both as abstract moral arguments and as calls for specific reforms addressing economic and sanitary issues. Reformers argued that the “Capital ofthe World” was no place for such an establishment and advocated the creation ofa new market in the suburbs. Conservative voices, in contrast, vigorously defended Smithfield as a venerable cultural institution dating back to the Middle Ages, a powerful symbol ofEnglish superiority over its imperial rivals—particularly the French, whose diet and morals attracted British scorn. During this period, in his capacity as editor of HW, Dickens published several articles, one of which he authored in its entirety and another that he co-authored; both raised troubling questions about cruelty to animals under the existing market system and called for Smithfield’s...

Effects of field of study on university students’ attitudes towards animal issues

AbstractThe field of study of university students may influence their attitudes towards animals, which in turn may influence their behaviour. Attitudes to animals in university students in eleven countries were obtained by survey, and the influence of field of study was evaluated after correcting for other influential factors. Students of agriculture were most accepting of killing animals, unnatural practices on animals, animal experimentation and animal rights issues, whereas humanities and arts students were less accepting of unnatural practices on animals and animal experimentation than students of other disciplines. Nevertheless, agriculture students had one of the highest proportions involved in animal protection organisations. It is suggested that regular contact with animals inures agriculture students to animal issues, whereas students in the humanities and arts, that have less contact with farm animals, have greater concern.

Standing up for science: The antivivisection movement and how to stand up to it.

Animal research has been and remains crucial to the development of modern medicine. The reasons for ongoing research are manifold from finding ways to treat cancer to understanding the mechanisms behind neurodegeneration to developing new vaccines against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Nearly all of us benefit from medical treatments made possible through animal research, and with so much at stake, it is important that scientists make the case for the importance of using animals in research. With animal rights extremism at an all‐time low, there has never been a better time for scientists to overcome their reluctance to talk about the benefits of their work. Sadly, polls show that opposition to animal research among young people, for example in the UK and USA, is significantly higher than among those aged over 65 [1], [2]. In my view, this is in part because of the large amount of misinformation propagated across the Internet by opponents of animal research—the “antivivisection” (AV) movement. Moreover, the past decades have seen bouts of intense activism—including harassment, threats and violence directed towards scientists—aimed at shutting down animal research. During the same period, the scientific community have worked diligently to replace, refine and reduce the use of animals in research (http://www.nc3rs.org.uk), making much progress; however, these efforts have not been sufficient to satisfy the passions of some activists. Part of the problem is that scientists rarely engage with those who are opposed to animal research, which can leave them detached from the need to justify or explain their work. This lack of communication also creates an information vacuum in the public sphere about the need to use animals. In a recent poll in the UK, only 31% of respondents felt “fairly well informed […] about science and scientific research/development” [2]. …

Feline Microchip

1. Introduction: The Microchip as Documentality DeviceWhat is a microchip? It is a recognition device designed to be implanted under the skin of (for example) a dog or cat in order to register the latter in a special canine or feline registry. Our question here is: what is such a chip? We raise this question as part of a reflection on the social dynamics involved when recognition of the identity of an animal is required for some human purpose.1Let us suppose that someone, for whatever reason, owns a cat. We are here in the realm of possession and therefore-by extension-of ownership or property. The first problem which then arises-a problem which normally remains in the background-is: can you own a living being as you own a material object? Certainly, some features are common to the two cases: we can adopt or buy a kitten or puppy; or we may receive it as a gift. But there are also differences. If we have custody of a dog or a cat, then we are responsible for its health and also for any damage that it may cause to third parties. We cannot say that we own a cat in the same way that we own a car or an iPad. Certainly the latter provide us with multiple benefits (they allow us, in their different ways, to explore the world in which we live). But they do not have intentions of their own independent of our will to switch them on or off. This aspect relates, of course, to the issue of animal rights, but also, and this is of primary concern to us here, to our self-understanding as social beings.Let us say that we 'own,' in the sense of 'being responsible for' a cat, meaning that we answer for it in front of the human community. This personalizes the situation immediately, defining it on the basis of expectations that are conceptually and emotionally human.This is my cat. I want the best for my cat. My cat must never run away from me, as I am the one taking care of it (I protect it, vaccinate it, tfeed it, stroke its fur). I thereby humanize (de-cattify) the cat, sometimes even to the point of sterilizing it in order that it might lead a life functionally appropriate to a middle-class urban apartment. Those who have cats are sooner or later faced with the question of medical and surgical devices that can be applied to produce a more comfortable order in the relationship between man and cat. It is under this heading that we confront the insertion under the skin of our cat of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device.The emphasis, for the moment at least, is neither on 'device' (in the specific sense given by Foucault [1991; 1988]), nor on 'subcutaneous'; but rather on the possessive adjective 'our'. We are again in the realm of ownership, though as we shall see not all the reasons for implanting an identifying microchip in a cat relate to ownership as narrowly conceived.2. The Socio-Ethological Reason for RFID ImplantationThe first such reason concerns the cats that live with people in their homes. The rationale behind the implantation of the device turns on the habit of cats to go out alone, often disappearing for considerable periods of time. The installation of the device allows the relocation of the animal should it ever get lost, since the device corresponds to an entry number in a registry accessible to an accredited veterinarian. The microchip, in short, does not automatically lead the cat to its rightful owner, but rather to the veterinarian who is treating the cat or who has installed the device. The latter then (if the cat is found) will contact the rightful owner. He in turn will know the microchip number which is noted in the medical record of the animal, along with other 'documentality' information (Ferraris 2006; 2009; 2012) pertaining to vaccinations, health treatments, and other matters specific to the cat. The reasoning underlying this arrangement is sensible; but it relates to situations which are far from likely. Let us assume that a cat cannot find its way home after a midnight sortie. …

Distribution of Industrial Farms in the United States and Socioeconomic, Health, and Environmental Characteristics of Counties

The method of producing food animals has changed in the United States over the past century, moving from traditional burns to enclosed structures resembling industrial buildings, where animals are raised in high stocking density (commonly known as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations,” CAFOs). The objective to maximize profit has resulted in poor farm management; raised issues of environmental pollution, public health, animal rights, and environmental justice, and had socio-economic impacts. Studies concerning the issues are limited to specific regions and types of CAFOs. In addition, studies on the spatial distribution and temporal changes of CAFO at a country scale are lacking. This study bridges some of the gaps by analyzing the spatial distribution of industrial farms in the United States in 2002 and 2007 and their relationship with vulnerable population and exploring the relationships among the concentrations of farms, socio-economic, health, and environmental characteristics of the counties. A range of spatial statistics tools were applied in this study. The study revealed variations in spatial distribution depending on the type of the CAFOs. The issue of environmental justice was found prevalent depending on the types of industrial farms. Each type of industrial farm was found to interact uniquely with the selected demographic, health, and environmental parameters.