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Teaching Human-Animal Studies Courses: Exploring Student Characteristics Across Three Universities Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Liz Grauerholz, Cameron T. Whitley, Erin N. Kidder, Kelley J. Ortiz, Kathy Shepherd Stolley
Human-animal studies (HAS) courses are becoming increasingly common in the college curriculum to help mitigate and address environmental and social problems. However, data on who takes these courses are lacking. This study examines differences between students who enroll in sociological HAS courses and those who do not. Survey data from three very distinct universities show that the main commonalities
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The Relationships Between Law-Breaking and Law-Abiding Ideological Animal Rights Activists and Their Parents and Spouses Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Tali Inbar-Frohlich, Moshe Bensimon, Natti Ronel
This phenomenological research examined family relationships among ideological nonhuman-animal rights activists, while distinguishing between law-breaking and law-abiding activists. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 30 activists highlighted two phases within the familial dynamics. During the joining phase, conflicts arose between the participants’ identities as activists and their identities
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A Flock of One’s Own: Nordic Human-Mountain Cattle Kinship-Making Practices Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Charlotte Kroløkke, Anne Nørkjær-Bang, Ulla Ovaska, Mervi Honkatukia
This article employs critical cultural and anthropological perspectives to investigate the ways in which Nordic mountain cattle are kinned and become positioned as kin. It does so by empirically foregrounding photographic material, elicited from the 3MC Traditional Transboundary Cattle Breeds’ photo competition, along with photo elicited interviews with 13 of the participating photographers. Nordic
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Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Meta-Analytic Review Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Sarah Meghan Germain, Karlene Wilkie, Virginia M. K. Milbourne, Jennifer Theule
In this meta-analysis, we examine the efficacy of animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) on mental disorders. Twenty-eight studies quantitatively assessed the treatment effects of AAP. We used a random effects model to aggregate each study into an overall effect size. We found a large effect for pre- versus post-intervention comparisons and a moderate effect for the treatment versus control comparison
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Coping with COVID-19: The Role of Emotions and Support from Companion Animals in Mental Health Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Vanessa Rohlf, Tiffani Howell, Pauleen Bennett
This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of companion animal guardians. First, the extent to which emotional responses to COVID-19 predicted mental health outcomes was explored. Support from companion animals and humans as potential moderators of observed relationships between emotional responses and mental health was then investigated. Using data collected from 895
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How Relationships with Their Dogs Affect Older Men’s Experiences of Aging Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Ranell Mueller
This study assessed how attachment to and caring for a companion animal dog in later life influence one’s sense of self in this life-stage. Interviews were conducted with 12 older men (62–72 years of age) caring for a companion animal dog. Six men were then convened as a focus group to further discuss their experiences of caring for their dogs. Interviews and discussions revealed several themes: the
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Investigating Human-Animal Interactions in Homes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Mixed-Methods Approach Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Caitlin Lisk, Lisa Mische Lawson
Research has shown that animal-assisted therapies can be beneficial for mental and physical needs within vulnerable populations. Research aims include: 1) To examine the heterogeneity of interactions between children with ASD and their animals in their homes through quantitative data; 2) To explore the experiences of animal ownership in families of children with ASD through qualitative interviews.
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Young Adults’ Lifetime Traumas and Wellbeing: Examining Relations with Attachment to Animal Companions and Mindfulness Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Patricia L. Tomich, Sabrina R. Barnhart, Raelyn M. O’Connell
The current study assessed relations between young adults’ lifetime trauma exposure, strength of attachment to companion animals, mindfulness (objective experiential awareness), and two indicators of wellbeing (i.e., physical and mental health). Participants were 423 undergraduates (77.5% female; 91.7% White; Mage = 22.23, SD = 6.87) who completed online surveys to assess previous exposure to traumatic
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Consumer Considerations of Carbon Paw Prints in Evaluations of Dog Food Products Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Anne-Marie van Prooijen, Anne E. M. J. Smeets, Kelly X. Yang, Priscilla Hoppezak
Due to its reliance on meat, the companion animals’ food industry significantly contributes to environmental problems. Despite these environmental implications, little is known about the relative importance that caregivers attach to environmental concerns in their evaluation of companion animals’ food products. Study 1 (N = 317) showed that perceived nutritional value predicted whether caregivers were
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“I Don’t Feel Judged. I Just Feel Love”: Perceptions of Animals as Support for Grievers Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Joanne Cacciatore, Richard Gorman, Kara Thieleman, Mariah Sullivan
This study explored the ways in which nonhuman animals were perceived to provide social support for grievers. A content analysis was conducted and four key qualities of nonhuman companion animals were identified: 1) presence, 2) continuity and purpose, 3) mutuality and connection, and 4) nature of response. Results suggest that people perceive animals to play an important role in providing emotional
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Does Viewing Cats and Dogs Influence People’s Mood, Optimism, and the Desire to Have Children? Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Kamila Machová, Jaroslav Flegr
Photos of cats and dogs are among the most popular kinds of material on the internet. Our large-scale study (N = 8,865) tested the influence of viewing cat and dog images on the desire to have children, mood, and optimism. The main effects of priming on these three variables were insignificant, both in the general population and subpopulations of cat and dog lovers. Nevertheless, a priming–gender interaction
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From Lifeline to Weapon: The Role of Companion Animals in the Lives of Entangled Victims Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Dana Atwood
Growing evidence suggests that companion animals play a significant role in the lives of victims of domestic abuse. The aim of this paper is to extend this research to include a broader range of domestic abuse victims. Drawing from 45 face-to-face interviews with participants who identify as “entangled victims,” this research evidences a complex and varied relationship between entangled victims and
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The “One Humanitarianism” Approach: Revisiting a Non-Discriminatory Humanitarianism Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Eduardo Barona, Olga Campos, Pedro Tomé Martín
Between December 2020 and February 2021, two ships with nearly 2,700 lives on board crossed the Mediterranean Sea on a round trip, but no country agreed to disembark them. That story could well be framed within the humanitarian crisis of refugees, which has shaken the Central Mediterranean since 2014. However, in this case, the victims were not migrants, but farmed animals who were suspected of being
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Landscapes as Multispecies Matters: the Mushing Landscape in the Making in Finnish Lapland Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 Mikko Äijälä
Animals are important players in tourism but their presence and agency in the formation of tourist landscapes has been largely disregarded. Landscapes are often considered to be unchanging material surfaces shaped through culture, thus leaving only a limited role for animals. Drawing on non-representational ideas of landscape, I focus on the (re)formation of a local tourist landscape that takes place
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Animals’ Mobilities in Popular Fiction: Time, Duration, and Desire in Sheila Burnford’s The Incredible Journey Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Philip Howell
In Sheila Burnford’s 1961 novel The Incredible Journey, three domestic animals undertake an arduous trek through the forests of northern Ontario to be reunited with their owners and family. As an example of “homing instinct” stories, The Incredible Journey has been influential, notably as a result of the 1963 Disney film. The genre is easily dismissed as sentimentally anthropomorphic, but this paper
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Wellbeing Perceptions of Humans Who “Borrow” and “Loan” Dogs in the Context of a Dog-Walk Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Catherine M. Smith, Gareth J. Treharne, Lizz Carrington
Dog-walking contributes positively to the wellbeing of humans; however, there is little evidence about any wellbeing benefits of dog-walking for “non-guardians.” We use the terminology “borrowers” to refer to non-guardians who borrow dogs to walk and “loaners” to refer to guardians who loan their dogs. In this qualitatively driven, mixed-methods study, we explored dog-walking and wellbeing for a sample
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Animals and Amour-Propre in Rousseau’s Second Discourse Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Robert Grimwade
This article explores the role of human-animal relations in the emergence of amour-propre, as presented in Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origin and Foundation of Inequality Among Men (also known as the Second Discourse). Rousseau’s natural vegetarianism thesis is used to elucidate and interrogate fundamental pivots in his conjectural history of human development. The implications of the connection between
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“Liking,” “Commenting,” and “Reposting”: Psychological Factors Associated to Online Animal Abuse Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Lauren Ryan McGuirk, Emma Alleyne
Advancements in technology and internet accessibility bring potential for new forms of offending behavior. Social Networking Sites (SNS) provide platforms for nonhuman animal abuse to be displayed and interacted with. There is a dearth of research into the characteristics of animal abuse perpetrated with the intent to be displayed on SNS. The aim of this study was to explore the psychological correlates
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No Animals Were Harmed in the Playing of This Game: Hunting Ethics in Virtual Space Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Andrew Baerg
This essay surveys the literature on digital games and ethics to address the ways in which ethics are mediated in video games. It then considers the limited scholarship engaging the intersections of digital games and nonhuman animals. The essay uses this literature to perform a textual analysis of theHunter: Call of the Wild as a case study contributing to broader discussions of the mediation of nonhuman
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Pigs and Pathogens: “Swine Flu” as a Boundary Object for Animal Rights and Farming Discourses Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-12 Abigail A. Couture
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
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Shameless Dogs: Cynics and Nonhuman Animal Ethics Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 Michael-John Turp
Various philosophical systems have been applied to questions of nonhuman animal ethics, but the ancient Cynics have been ignored despite their close association with dogs and their commitment to philosophy as a way of life. After explaining the neglect and clearing away some obstacles to treating Cynic ethics seriously, this article looks closely at Cynic shamelessness and its connection with conventions
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Attitudes and Intentions Regarding Animal-Assisted Interventions: Associated Variables Among Southern Spanish Psychologists Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-12-18 Javier López-Cepero Borrego, Lidia Catalina Navarro, Joaquín Ruiz Estrada
This study examined acceptance of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) among Spanish psychologists (N = 332; mostly women). Participants reported attachment to animals, empathy, anthropomorphism, attitudes toward AAI, AAI knowledge, and intention to use AAI. Although less than 20% had AAI training, over 85% of participants were interested in using AAIs. Considering companion animals as human social
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Influence of Species Preference and Owner Gender on Attachment to Animals: French-Translated Validated Questionnaires Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-12-13 Sophie Pellon, Margaux Hallegot, Louise Robinet, Claire Villegas-Drogoz, Claude Tomberg
Companion animal ownership has been reported to be beneficial for human health. Attachment is an important mechanism involved in interpersonal relationships and potentially in health concerns. In this study, we investigated the influence of companion animal species and owners’ gender on owners’ attachment to their animals. To do this, we validated the French translation of the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
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Dogs in Dutch Media: Exploring Public Opinion As A Step Toward Solving Dog Welfare Problems Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-11-17 Susan Ophorst, Noelle Aarts, Bernice Bovenkerk, Hans Hopster
Dogs are considered humans’ best friend, but this relationship is not all puppies and sunshine. Zoonoses, biting incidents, hereditary problems, and other welfare issues can threaten the relationship, especially when humans are not aware of them. Public opinion on dogs in the densely populated Netherlands was therefore examined. Dutch newspapers and Facebook were analyzed with frame analysis. A positive
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Foster Puppies as Therapeutic Partners: A Model for Mutual Benefit Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Melissa Trevathan-Minnis, Rebecca E. Platz
Ample research points to the positive impact of nonhuman animals on humans and the benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on patients in multiple settings. However, AAT is often a one-sided enterprise, whereby the focus of concern for benefit and growth is centered on the human, and less, or not at all, on the nonhuman animal. We present a model that emphasizes approximate equal benefit for human
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In the Doghouse? An Exploration of Online Discussions Around the Challenges of Human-Dog Relationships Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-11-03 Tamzin Furtado, Rachel Casey, Melissa Upjohn, Robert Christley
Though many prospective dog guardians have an optimistic view of dog-human relationships, the realities can be challenging. This paper discusses carer-reported emotional impacts of dealing with more problematic relationships with dogs. This study used a Grounded Theory method to qualitatively analyze 35 discussion threads about dog behavior, from two UK-based online discussion forums between June–October
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Coyote Killing: Where Species and Identities Collide Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-10-23 Shelley Alexander, Dianne Draper, Alexandra Boesel
Although predator killing is a global phenomenon, few studies interrogate the individual and societal drivers of choosing lethal versus non-lethal actions towards coyotes. Results here derive from 48 in situ, semi-structured interviews conducted during 2015–2017 with rural residential and agricultural landowners in the Foothills Parkland Region of Alberta, Canada. Interviews recorded landowner experiences
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Effects of Human-Dolphin Interactions on Tourist Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Dolphins Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-10-23 Heather M. Manitzas Hill, Lauren Highfill, Teri Bolton, Waleska Henriquez, Kathleen Dudzinski, Matthew Gutierrez, Danielle Birk, Deirdre Yeater
Human-wildlife interactions have been shown to positively impact tourist beliefs and actions in relation to wildlife and the environment. The purpose of this study was to explore guest beliefs and perceptions about dolphins and dolphin programs before and after participating in human-dolphin interactions (HDI). We surveyed 142 guests participating in a self-selected HDI located in a natural lagoon
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Factors Associated with Children’s Humane Attitudes toward Animals Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-10-23 Javiera Calderón-Amor, Camila Palma, Carmen Gallo
Various studies have suggested a range of different factors associated with children’s attitudes toward animals; however, in Chile, it is an area that has not been studied. The current study administered the Intermediate Attitude Scale (IAS, which measures attitudes toward the humane treatment of animals) to 286 children in third and fourth grade and analyzed its association with the following variables:
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Sometimes the Bear Eats You, Sometimes You Eat the Bear: Values Surrounding Urban Bears Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-09-20 Annie L. Booth, Daniel A.J. Ryan
Bears evoke many responses in humans, both to their social/cultural presence and to their physical/ecological reality. This study examines attitudes towards bears in two cities in British Columbia, Canada. Focusing largely upon black bears (Ursus americanus), open-ended survey responses are analyzed to identify the key values that participants identified for the bears with whom they share space (both
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Fear of the Wolf: Are Human-Wildlife Conflicts Actually Human-Human Feuds? Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-09-14 Lisa Märcz, Michael Gibbert
This qualitative study explores the opinions of people who criticize the presence of wolves in Germany to understand what lies behind their concerns. It provides an intimate insight into the lives and fears of people and their relation to wolves and contributes to understanding the less considered critics of wolf management. By discussing the links between a fear of wolves, rural identity, and perceptions
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Effects of a Canine-Assisted Intervention in Perceived and Physiological Stress of Spanish University Students Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-09-08 Diana Peña Gil, Celia Camilli Trujillo, Mercedes García García
Many universities, concerned with finding methods to improve the academic environment and support their students, carry out animal-assisted interventions. This study measured the effect of a canine-assisted intervention program on the stress of first-year university students at the Complutense University of Madrid. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was followed, with a follow-up measure
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Unternehmen Kolibri: Of Hitler and Hummingbirds Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-09-07 Noah Comet
The hummingbird’s biological and cultural associations with beauty, sweetness, and docility belie a longstanding symbolic association with violence and danger. Taking the Nazis’ surprising adoption of the symbol as a point of departure, this essay traces this association to its Mesoamerican origins, and follows its emergence in European and British culture through travel writing, naturalism, commercialism
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What Do Scientists Mean When They Talk About Research Animals “Volunteering”? Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-08-11 Alexandra Palmer, Beth Greenhough, Pru Hobson-West, Gail Davies, Reuben Message
This paper examines discourses around “volunteering” in animal research. Through a qualitative textual analysis of the scientific literature using animals in behavioral and psychological research, we demonstrate that “voluntary” and related terms are used by scientists in a variety of distinct ways, which carry a range of ethical and political connotations. While any reference to volunteering might
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Behaviors and Attitudes Towards Companion Animals During COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in Portugal Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-08-02 Vera Duarte, Susana Costa, Catarina Cardoso, Mariana Soares
The COVID-19 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020 caused many uncertainties. Threatening the wellbeing of both people and their companion animals, the pandemic raised many questions about the role of the interactions and relationships between humans and companion animals in the context of social distancing and all the restrictions it imposes. It was in this setting that
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Personality Effect on Individuals’ Dog Breed Choices: The Case of Turkish Dog Keepers Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-07-26 Nursen Ozturk, Bulent Ekiz, Halil Ibrahim Kilic, Mustafa Ozcan
To investigate the effect of individuals’ personality on their dog breed choices, an online questionnaire was conducted with 581 dog keepers. Breeds were classified according to body size, functions, temperament, and ban status. Personality classifications of keepers were achieved through the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire in the Turkish language. To determine effects of individuals’ personality
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Being with Donkeys: Insights into the Valuing and Wellbeing of Donkeys in Central Ethiopia Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-07-17 Martha Geiger, Jo Hockenhull, Henry Buller, Gebre T. Engida, M. Jemal Kedir, L. Goshu, M. Getachew, A. Banerjee†, F. A. Burden, H. R. Whay
This paper explores the interwoven lives of donkeys and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods in central Ethiopia. Drawing on data from 12 participatory workshops, insights were elicited into the ways human co-workers value and treat their donkey co-workers. Methodologically, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Appreciative Inquiry (AI) techniques were merged to explore the complex
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A New Definition of Ethical Mentophobia Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-07-17 David Chauvet
It has become difficult to deny animal consciousness. However, we have nonepistemic reasons for denying it that are related to our interests. In particular, research has shown that we reject animal consciousness to morally preserve our meat consumption. It is therefore possible that mentophobia is expressed in ways other than the denial of the nonhuman animal mind. We revisit the concept of mentophobia
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Publications Trends in Society & Animals from 2009–2019: A Bibliometric Analysis Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-07-04 Camille Xinmei Rousseau, John-Tyler Binfet
This bibliometric analysis of Society & Animals (SOAN) publications from 2009–2019 generated a portrait of publishing trends including prevalent authors (i.e., Who?), institutions publishing HAI research (i.e., Where?), and salient themes of research showcased (i.e., What?). Pete Porter and Randy Malamud emerged as preeminent authors and collaborators. Researchers with prevalent citations included
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Jingle Bells: How Do Bells Affect the Wellbeing, Safety, and Identity of Guide Dog Teams? Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Tiamat Warda
Some visually impaired individuals will attach a small bell to their guide dog’s collar to locate them acoustically, yet existing literature on this topic is lacking. This paper analyzes how bells can affect the wellbeing, welfare, and safety of guide dog teams. The ways in which bells alter personal, social, and collective identities are also explored. Results are based on autoethnographic data from
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Human-Horse Relationships, Horse Welfare, and Abuse in Mexico: A Social Representation Approach Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-06-26 Carlos Monterrubio, Katherine Dashper, Rafael Hernández-Espinosa
Drawing on social representation theory, this study explored horse handlers’ understandings of “good” treatment, abuse, and human-horse relationships in tourism, leisure, and sport events in Mexico to examine the ways in which attitudes toward horse welfare are shaped by both national and cultural discourses and wider norms of the global equestrian community. Based on in-depth interviews, the study
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License to Cull: A Research Agenda for Investigating the Necropolitics of Countryside Culling and Urban Pest Control Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-05-15 Erica von Essen, David Redmalm
This paper proposes an empirical research agenda for investigating the practices of biosecuritization of wild animal threats in modern society. Previously mostly studied on the lofty biopolitical level of directives on combatting invasive species or culling pests, we outline the conceptual and methodological points of entry for bringing the on-the-ground work of culling out-of-place, unwanted, individual
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Conservation, Animal Wellbeing, and Indigenous Participation at an Elephant Sanctuary in Mondulkiri, Cambodia Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-05-08 Helen Kopnina, Liv Baker
This article focuses on the intersection of indigenous peoples, conservation, and elephant wellbeing in Cambodia. While social justice advocates emphasize the human cost of conservation in human-animal conflicts, those concerned with animal protection and rights have problematized the treatment of elephants. This critique stems from evidence that the human relationship to elephants, captive and wild
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Mimetic Dimensions of Bird-Human Interactions: The Use of Bird Sound Imitations among Estonian Birders Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-05-02 Riin Magnus, Sugata Bhattacharya
This paper explores bird sound imitation as a particular type of interspecies interaction. Using questionnaires, interviews, and participatory observations, a survey was conducted among Estonian birders to find out about the prevalence of the practice, the diversity of imitated species, the means of imitation, and the attitudes of birders towards the use of recordings in the field. The study found
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Status of Instrument Development in the Field of Human-Animal Interactions & Bonds: Ten Years On Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-03-20 Lauren Samet, Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside, Melissa Upjohn, Rachel Casey
The multidisciplinary nature of human-(nonhuman) animal interactions (HAI), and global interest in HAI development, has led to an explosion of research in recent years justifying the need to update previous reviews in the subject area. This paper reports the results of a systematic literature review focusing on measures of HAI created in the ten-year period since previous reviews ended (2008). Thirty
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Emotions at Work: Acknowledging Interspecies Emotional Labor of Guide Dog Mobility Instructors Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-03-14 Tiamat Warda
Emotional labor is the management of feelings to present appropriate emotion displays in work-related interactions. This paper acknowledges the emotional labor of guide dog mobility instructors in their work for and with guide dogs. It is interspersed with personal vignettes from my time as a guide dog mobility instructor. While educating canines, instructors conduct both deep and surface acting to
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Interviewing Animals Through Animal Communicators: Potentials of Intuitive Interspecies Communication for Multispecies Methods Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-02-08 Vanessa Wijngaarden
Animal communicators worldwide employ intuitive interspecies communication (IIC) to engage in detailed, two-way communication with nonhuman animals. IIC’s potential for doing research with rather than on animals has been insufficiently explored, due to contingent onto-epistemological biases. Cooperating with animal communicators as interpreters, pilot interviews with felines were conducted. Challenges
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Ecuadorian Children’s Willingness to Protect Endangered Species – Identifying Behavioral Predictors in a Biodiversity Hotspot Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2023-01-03 Milan Büscher, Lea Stein, María Elisa Durán, María-Elena Cazar, Philip Hillebrand, Susanne Schlünder, Florian Fiebelkorn
The loss of biodiversity is a problem that particularly affects biodiversity hotspots. Children play a crucial role in the conservation of endangered species. One important prerequisite for conservation behavior is the willingness to protect endangered animal species. The present study investigated the influence of several variables on Ecuadorian children’s willingness to protect domestic endangered
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Apes Unlike Us: Human-Ingroup Protection Against Encroaching Simianity in UK Newspapers Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 Kathleen Bryson
We often pigeonhole our surroundings into dualistic categories. This capacity to function as reductionists may help us problem-solve when pressed in terms of survival or reproduction. Alternatively, binary categories may be reflective of certain socioecological conditions, and thus social constructs. This study explores classifications of nonhuman primate taxonomy via the coding of human–primate boundary
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Dis/Ability: A Discussion on Creating More Accessible Employment for Assistance Dog Instructors with Disabilities Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 Tiamat Warda
Disabled individuals can and do lead successful careers as assistance dog instructors. However, the international percentage of professional disabled instructors is significantly lower than their able-bodied colleagues. This paper takes an initial step in questioning the benefits and challenges of creating more accessible and inclusive career paths for disabled assistance dog instructors, hopefully
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Outdoor Cats: Science, Ethics, and Politics Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-12-07 William S. Lynn, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila
The relationship between people, outdoor cats, and wildlife is the subject of fraught debate. Some conservationists claim cats are harbingers of chaos – akin to a zombie apocalypse threatening biodiversity and public health. The empirical evidence and scientific reasoning do not bear this out. Cats may or may not be a problem for biodiversity depending on diverse ecological and social contexts. Indeed
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Nonhuman Animals as Symbols in the #BlackLivesMatter Protests of 2020 Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-11-24 Tiamat Warda, Thomas Aiello, Kristine Hill
Racial uprisings often include animalized commentary and symbolic use of nonhuman animal bodies. This paper highlights some of the nonhuman animal bodies observed during the #BlackLivesMatter protests within the United States in 2020 – specifically, the use of pig, horse, and dog bodies during street protests. Displays of pigs carry with them a racially rife past in the United States. This history
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The Influence of the Dimensions of Perceived Value on Keepers’ Satisfaction and Intention to Abandon Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-11-23 Gonzalo Luna-Cortés
This research examines the effect of dimensions of keepers’ perceived value (utilitarian, emotional, social) of their dogs on the dogs’ behavioral problems, keepers’ satisfaction, and intent to abandon their dogs, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). A questionnaire was administered to 330 keepers walking their dogs in a national park in Bogotá, Colombia
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Outdoor Cats: An Introduction Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-11-23 William S. Lynn, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Kristin L. Stewart
A moral panic over cats has gripped portions of the conservation community, with claims that outdoor house cats (felis catus) are wrecking havoc on biodiversity and public health akin to a zombie apocalypse. This is a mistake, a result of poor scientific reasoning and selective attention to data, or worse, pure demagoguery. The situation is more nuanced. Outdoor cats can cause significant harm to wildlife
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Animals in Fashion: Portrayal of Animal Biodiversity on Children’s Clothing Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-11-09 Michiel Jan Dirk Hooykaas, Antonia Katharina Aalders, Menno Schilthuizen, Ionica Smeets
While cultural products such as clothes are usually not designed with an educational goal in mind, they may still raise biodiversity awareness. This study explored the portrayal of animal biodiversity on children’s clothing marketed by three major clothing retailers in the Netherlands. Findings showed that although nonhuman animals were a common theme, diversity was quite low. The portrayal was centered
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Confluence and Implications of Cats, Coyotes, and Other Mesopredators at a Feral Cat Feeding Station Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-11-07 Numi C. Mitchell, Michael W. Strohbach, Mariel N. Sorlien, Scott N. Marshall
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is promoted as a “humane” alternative to lethal methods for population control of feral domestic cats (Felis catus). This paper explores feedbacks between feral domestic cats, coyotes (Canis latrans), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and skunks (Mephitis mephitis) at a TNR feral cat colony in Rhode Island, USA. A total of 12,272 photographs from a motion-activated camera were analyzed
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Decisional Factors for Purchasing Beef Labeled with Animal Welfare in Korea Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-10-14 Jun Ho Seok, Byungjoon Woo, Hyunjoong Kim, GwanSeon Kim
In this study, we investigate important decisional factors for the purchase intention of animal welfare labeled beef in Korea considering direct and indirect paths (trust and attitudes). Using a structural equation model with 300 samples from the Korea consumer panel survey, we find that perceived knowledge and revealed information positively affect consumer purchase intention for beef labeled as supporting
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Managing Our Relationship with Free-Roaming Cats in Zoopoland Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-10-04 Joan E. Schaffner
Debate over the proper management of our relationship with free-roaming cats has escalated based on concerns over impacts on biodiversity and public health, with some calling for their eradication. It is often waged between animalists, primarily focused on the interests of the individual animal, and traditional conservationists, primarily focused on preserving native species and biodiversity. An ethical
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Learning With Donkeys – A “More-Than-Human” Approach to Animal-Assisted Activities Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-09-27 Cara Clancy, Fiona Cooke, Richard Gorman
The last twenty years have seen increased interest in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activity (AAA). However, there has been little research exploring these interactions as experienced by the animals themselves. In this paper, we bring a “more-than-human” lens to concepts and practices within AAA/T, synthesizing ideas about animal sentience and subjectivity that have emerged within
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The Meatless Menu Paradox? Environmental Theory and Plant-Based Fast-Food Options Society and Animals (IF 1.325) Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Michael D. Briscoe
Recent trends in fast food to provide plant-based meat substitutes have been heralded as a positive step towards animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and human health. Research in environmental sociology warns that resource substitution can actually lead to an increase in overall consumption, as demonstrated by the paperless office paradox. Here, I argue that the trend of adding plant-based