Animal Rights Research Articles

Original sin or natural order: Dialogical construction of social knowledge of animal production

AbstractThis research examines the public discussion around animal production in Finland. Applying a dialogical approach to social representations theory, we elucidate the hotly debated nature of animal production by analysing news articles (N = 50) and the related reader‐produced comments (N = 1501) in Finnish newspapers. We employed qualitative methods for analysing multivoicedness and dialogue to identify ego–alter pairs constructed in the material in relation to the object of animal production. Four prevalent ego–alter pairs were identified: advocates for animal rights–animal production defenders, producers–consumers, orthodox–unorthodox Christians and provincials–urban dwellers. The study contributes to the study of everyday knowledge by showing how various contradictory understandings of the same topic are generated in public discourse. The research also demonstrates how the theoretical concept of ego–alter embedded in the social representations theory can be empirically utilised in analysing debates in contemporary media environments and to shed light on the dialogical dynamics around the discussions.

All creatures great and small: Faith, spirituality, environmental-animal rights activism and public relations as covenantal stewardship

This study extends the historical record of faith/spirituality-inspired social activism, an under-explored area of advocacy, by examining such campaigning for environmental and animal rights and the worldview and model of public relations that guide such efforts. A combination of qualitative methods was used to obtain data on public relations as conceptualized and practiced including a textual analysis of historical material and institutional media. Throughout history faith/spirituality has inspired Indigenous peoples, governments, and individuals to advocate for environmental and animal rights, playing a central role in the formation and practice of a worldview, caritas, embracing an approach to relationship-building – covenantal stewardship – that guides behavior in a pro-social manner toward an inclusive set of “publics” – humans living, unborn, and ancestral, animals, and the natural world as well as alternative views of public relations. Moreover, individuals of faith/spirituality have created NGOs to institutionalize such activism. The influence of faith/spirituality upon environmental and animal rights activism points toward a re-thinking of the nature of public relations and its “publics” given emerging sensitivities to the principles of inclusion necessary for the harmonious functioning of society and requires a new definition, worldview, and model of practice.

Pigs and Pathogens: “Swine Flu” as a Boundary Object for Animal Rights and Farming Discourses

Abstract This paper considers the ways in which discourse around the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak reflects differences in framing and symbolic boundary negotiation amongst animal rights organizations, small scale farming advocates and meat industry representatives. Frame analysis shows how “Swine Flu” is treated as a “boundary object” to negotiate its significance and meaning for human and non-animal health writ large. The ambiguity of the virus’ origins, who was responsible, and who should care allowed Swine Flu to emerge as a boundary object for stakeholders to negotiate within public health discourse. Thematic analysis identified six separate frames, revealing patterns of meaning-making by animal rights organizations (AROs), farm-to-table groups, and meat industry networks. Frame use illustrates how Swine Flu was situated by competing stakeholders to reinforce a network of boundaries. Future directions consider the applicability of frames to understand boundary processes during COVID-19.

Cross-Sectional Survey of Public Perception of Commercial Greyhound Racing in New Zealand.

The commercial greyhound racing industry in New Zealand is struggling with an eroding social license and 'on-notice' status. Multiple independent reviews of the industry have identified ongoing issues of animal welfare during and between races, euthanasia decisions, poor data tracking, a lack of transparency and problems with rehoming dogs, resulting in New Zealand animal advocacy agencies and the general public questioning the continuation of greyhound racing. The current paper assessed the New Zealand public's awareness and familiarity with commercial greyhound racing, identified current levels of public support or opposition for racing, and provided context in terms of engagement with greyhound racing using a comprehensive survey of a robust sample of New Zealanders. The results confirm that the social license of the greyhound industry is under challenge with most respondents expressing disagreement with or lack of knowledge of current industry practices and indicating they would vote in support of a ban. There is scope for increasing public acceptability by addressing welfare issues, increasing awareness of positive industry practices, and encouraging transparency of the greyhound racing agency. However, as greyhound racing is on the decline worldwide, calls are likely to continue for a phase-out of commercial greyhound racing.

Is trophy hunting a real sport?

One of the most confusing and least academically understood fields of the tourism industry at global level is ironically the lucrative and highly priced phenomenon of big game hunting which is often carried out as a means of recreational sport. Colloquially known variously as trophy hunting, sport hunting or safari hunting, the practice of big game hunting represents one of the fastest growing and perhaps most controversial aspects of both sport and income generating activities involving wildlife exploitation. The multi-billion-dollar industry, which is often targeted for criticism by animal rights groups that oppose killing of animals on moral grounds, is examined critically from a pro-hunting perspective. In a bid to establish whether trophy hunting qualifies as a true sport or not, the study unravels how human lust for money has reduced trophy hunting into a mafioso-like syndicate with little or no scruples for sporting and conservation principles which are essential ingredients to qualify hunting as a true sport. This study is therefore a milestone not only in putting together major principles upon which trophy hunting bases its claims as a sport, but also in unravelling secretive abuses of wildlife that deny trophy hunting the status of sport that its original hunting philosophers had envisaged.

Animal rights, animal research, and the need to reimagine science

What would it look like for researchers to take non-human animal rights seriously? Recent discussions foster the impression that scientific practice needs to be reformed to make animal research ethical: just as there is ethically rigorous human research, so there can be ethically rigorous animal research. We argue that practically little existing animal research would be ethical and that ethical animal research is not scalable. Since animal research is integral to the existing scientific paradigm, taking animal rights seriously requires a radical, wholesale reimagining of science. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05340426.

Spanish Greyhounds and ‘Greying’ Men: Animal Advocacy and the Representation of Aging Galgueros in Spanish Documentary Film

In recent years, the image of the Spanish male hunter has drawn increasing suspicion from more progressive generations eager to question the meaning of such predatorial activity within the context of a more globalized Spain, one that is opening itself to animal welfare legislation and animal ethics discourses. Hare coursing with galgos (Spanish greyhounds) has become one of the country’s trademark forms of interspecies encounter where machoism and a deeply rooted sense of dominant masculinity shape a culture of objectification of nonhuman animals. The aim of this article is to examine the representation of galgueros (the breeders, owners and sportsmen behind the controversy) in two documentaries that are part of a wider animal advocacy media: Irene Blánquez’s Febrero, el miedo de los galgos (2013) and Yeray López Portillo’s Yo Galgo (2018). I argue that within the context of animal ethics discourses, galgueros are effectively embodied by aging, rural men whose ‘traditions’ and communal forms of dog-disposing are represented as outdated, anachronistic practices that are symptomatic of a type of male population affectively attached to an understanding of the cynegetic encounter that is in decline. Using mechanisms of (dis)identification to articulate the representation of the conflict and the stakeholders, the films implicate identity markers of gender and age that intersect with the wider question of interspecies relations and the significance that this bears in the construction of a new Spanish identity that is more sensitized to nonhuman animal otherness.

ARGENTINA: ENTRE O RECONHECIMENTO DOS DIREITOS DOS ANIMAIS E A INTENSIFICAÇÃO DA PECUÁRIA

Abstract The intensification of animal farming is a growing trend worldwide that poses serious environmental and animal rights challenges. In Argentina, it gained public attention for the first time after the government agreed with China to install intensive pig farms in the country in 2020. Although the environmental danger raised the most important concerns among the public, the opposition also came from animal rights advocates. This paper will offer a theoretical analysis of intensive pig farming from animal ethics and animal welfare perspectives. The analysis will include how some of the most recent advances in Argentinean case law, recognizing legal personhood for some animals, could influence the path to animal farm intensification and its regulation. The work is divided into four sections. In the first, a brief discussion of the contributions of animal ethics will be presented. The second section will describe the main concepts involved in animal welfare science. In the third section, the article will describe the life and death of pigs on intensive farms. Finally, the last section will survey Argentinean animal rights case law and animal law, highlighting the contrast between the contradictory trends: animal legal personhood recognition versus animal farming intensification.

Legal framework in aid of biological diversity and statutory deficiencies in Pakistan.

The traditional perception of mutual rights and obligations in the developing world was practically confined to human beings only. Fortunately, this conventional understanding is growing to include all living beings in the scope of certain basic rights. It is also addressing those creatures which are co-existing with human societies naturally or are associated for their subsistence and interdependence. It means that there should be prescribed body of rules and regulations to regulate human conduct in the society. In Pakistan social awakening for animal rights supported by international campaigns have urged state institutions to make adequate body of rules and regulations for protection of animal rights. Purpose of developing required understanding, at the first place is to clarify what is a right and what is an obligation? Secondly what should be the nature of these rights and obligations. Should these be only specific to human beings or there are other beings who also possess certain rights? If other living beings, species have rights, how these rights are to be conferred and regulated? Who is under obligation to provide these rights? Who is liable and responsible to ensure observance of such obligations? It is becoming clearer that like human beings' animals do have certain rights as living beings. All most all religions of the world have prescribed certain rights to them which are encrypted in their holy books. Most of the people are aware of basic concept of observing mild and kind behavior towards pet animals only. Today we scientifically know that humanity and animals have co-existing inevitability. By observing mutual behavior and sensation, the world has provided special rights to the animals by making laws and Acts. Implementation of those rights can only be made through mutual understanding of the citizens under the supervision of law enforcing agencies. It is the responsibility of state and citizens of the states jointly to protect the animals when their rights are being violated.

A brief history of the animals' scientific research, international rules and Brazilian regulations.

Several countries and non-governmental organizations have discussed the use of animals in industry and biomedical areas. This work shows the progression of animal' rights for scientific purposes in Brazil and how Brazilian Councils have advanced to follow worldwide regulations. Since the first rules about animals' usage in Ireland in 1635, the British Cruelty to Animals Act in 1876, and the Brazilian animal protection rules in 1924 and 1934, most worldwide actions culminated in the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights (1978). In 1979, the Brazilian Law 6.638 displayed directives for didactic-scientific practice of vivisection. In 2008, the Arouca Law 11.794 filled regulatory gaps and created the National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA). In 2014, the CONCEA incorporated the 3R's philosophy and recognized substitute techniques, but only in 2023 it prohibited vertebrate animals in scientific research, development and control of personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes. It is clear current Brazilian and international rules are unable to cover all aspects of animal wellbeing, even for regulations of commercial issues. Certainly, innovative tools, as organ-on-chip, in vitro techniques and bioinformatical advancements will provide a crucial animal welfare and new laws will minimize animal pain and distress, including for disregarded invertebrates.

Editorial - Animal Rights: Ethics, Sentience, and the End of Anthropocentrism

Editorial - Animal Rights: Ethics, Sentience, and the End of Anthropocentrism

40 years of AETE: the contribution of scientists and practitioners to the progress of reproductive biotechnologies in Europe.

This conference celebrates the 40th anniversary of AETE. Over the past 40 years, AETE has served as a forum for scientists, practitioners, and students working in assisted animal reproduction in livestock species. AETE conferences have reflected developments in the field, from basic to applied science, as well as regulatory changes in assisted animal reproduction practices. Europe has led the way in these developments for many years, progressing from artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and cryopreservation to semen sexing, in vitro production of embryos, cloning by nuclear transfer, genomic selection, and the rescue of highly endangered species. These significant contributions were made possible by the support of funding agencies, both at the national and European levels, promoting cooperation between scientists and practitioners. Assisted reproduction, and animal breeding more generally, face opposition from various groups, including animal rights activists, vegetarians, proponents of organic farming, environmentalists, certain political parties, and increasing regulatory burdens. These challenges seriously affect funding for scientific research, the work of practitioners, and the breeding industry as a whole. It is crucial to invest time and resources in communication to remind the public, politicians, and regulators of the achievements in this field and the contributions made to the food supply chain and the care of the rural and natural environment.

Naturalized Rights of Animals, Animalized Rights of Nature

Naturalized Rights of Animals, Animalized Rights of Nature

Alternative methods go green! Green toxicology as a sustainable approach for assessing chemical safety and designing safer chemicals

Green toxicology is marching chemistry into the 21st century. This emerging framework will transform how chemical safety is evaluated by incorporating evaluation of the hazards, exposures, and risks associated with chemicals into early product development in a way that minimizes adverse impacts on human and environmental health. The goal is to minimize toxic threats across entire supply chains through smarter designs and policies. Traditional animal testing methods are replaced by faster, cutting-edge innovations like organs-on-chips and artificial intelligence predictive models that are also more cost-effective. Core principles of green toxicology include utilizing alternative test methods, applying the precautionary principle, considering lifetime impacts, and emphasizing risk prevention over reaction. This paper provides an overview of these foundational concepts and describes current initiatives and future opportunities to advance the adoption of green toxicology approaches. Chal-lenges and limitations are also discussed. Green shoots are emerging with governments offering carrots like the European Green Deal to nudge industry. Noteworthy, animal rights and environ-mental groups have different ideas about the needs for testing and their consequences for animal use. Green toxicology represents the way forward to support both these societal needs with sufficient throughput and human relevance for hazard information and minimal animal suffering. Green toxi-cology thus sets the stage to synergize human health and ecological values. Overall, the integration of green chemistry and toxicology has potential to profoundly shift how chemical risks are evaluated and managed to achieve safety goals in a more ethical, ecologically-conscious manner.

"Harmonizing Human Rights and Animal Rights: Exploring the Indian Context and the Call for a Universal Declaration"

"Harmonizing Human Rights and Animal Rights: Exploring the Indian Context and the Call for a Universal Declaration"

Species Relationship and Animal Cruelty in Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Over time, multiplicity or replication has influenced life, and life itself has in various ways affected and been affected by the physical environment. A typical example of a member of the physical environment that has been expressly affected by man is the non-human members of the environment especially, animals. Cruelty against animals is an emerging concern in global ecological discourse in recent times. This paper however examines species relationship and animal cruelty in Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. The objective is to critically investigate how man relates with animals and the spate of cruelty against animals in the physical environment. In order to achieve this set intention, the study engages the theoretical exposition of ecocriticism mainly because of its commitment to environmentalist philosophy. Contrary to a jaundiced belief that animals should not make ecologic discourses, the research reveals that animals are members of the physical environment but are subjected to oppressive cruelty. It shows also that animal rights advocacy is within the purview of environmental literature. The study indicates that species relationships can be a useful standard for gauging the health of the ecosystem.

장동익 교수는 피터 싱어의 동물 해방론을 성공적으로 비판했는가?

장동익 교수는 피터 싱어의 동물 해방론을 성공적으로 비판했는가?

ZEBRA FISH: AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL FOR DRUG SCREENING

Animal models have provided invaluable information in biological evaluation and drug screening. It comes to predicting the human body’s response to candidate drugs; traditional laboratory animal models are woefully inadequate. However, increased concern for the welfare of the animals used, and a growing awareness of the concept of animal rights, has brought a greater focus on the related ethical issues.In this review, we seek to summarize the important anatomical aspects of Zebra fish as it is used as an alternative animal model for drug screening.

Wszystkie zwierzęta są równe… czyli dlaczego zasada etyczna, na której opiera się ludzka równość, wymaga od nas także równego traktowania zwierząt

Exctract from the book Animal Liberation Now (Publisher: New York: HarperCollins, 2023), which shows that despite the growing importance of the animal liberation movement, we still abuse animals on an incomprehensible scale. The book returns to the themes of Animal Liberation – Peter Singer’s groundbreaking work from 1975 and examines how the issues of the animal rights movement intertwine with climate change and social justice. The book is also a voice arguing for a new ethics of our relationship with animals. In the quoted passage, Peter Singer argues for animal liberation and equal treatment of the interests of humans and non-humans. He also describes speciesism as prioritizing the interests of one’s own species. The ethical basis for equal treatment of different species is their shared capacity to suffer.

The Entanglement of Disability, Animality and Humanness in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People in the Light of Sunaura Taylor’s Ethical Theories

One recent development in the field of disability studies is its intersection with animal studies, as represented in the work of American artist, writer, disability and animal rights activist Sunaura Taylor. In her art and scholarly works, primarily in her book Beasts of Burden (2017), Taylor examines the porousness of human/nonhuman categories in the context of disability studies. Although Taylor is aware of how various discourses animalized certain populations in the past (the colonized, ethnic minorities, or people with disabilities), she insists on showing resemblance and kinship between disabled people and animals. Taylor’s ideas seem to be reflected in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People (2007), which deals with the problem of environmental catastrophe, consequent health issues of the local population, and animalization of people with disabilities. The paper investigates Sinha’s portrayal of entanglements of the human with the nonhuman in the material sphere, and the emergence of a new type of consciousness, based on a redefinition of one’s connection to the world, which involves reclaiming one’s animality.