Critical animal studies acknowledges the role that science has played in constructing and legitimizing categories of difference, particularly that related to species distinctions, evolutionarily ideas about group inferiority and superiority, and the goal of social development. As such, my research explores how sociological research has traditionally animalized its Appalachian subjects and used this animalization as an explanation or rationale for inequality.
Continue readingWhy Vegan Sociology?
Vegan sociology argues that Nonhuman Animals are persons in their own right, their oppression is worthy of academic attention, and their oppression deeply intersects with the oppression of other marginalized groups such as women, people of color, and lower-class persons.
Continue readingThe Only Vegan in the Department: Science, Anti-Veganism, and the Illusion of Objectivity
Weber reminds us that reality is more than the material–it is also found in shared subjective meanings. Objectivity, knowledge, facts, and truth are subsequently vulnerable to political maneuvering. If no science is value-free, what values will we apply? Values of violence or values of justice?
Continue readingUn-naming the Enslaved: Names, Identity, & Speciesism
Names are more than personal identifiers. They are also symbolic representations of personhood. Witholding names from individuals has been an important ideological tool of oppression.
Continue readingShould Vegans Be Organ Donors?
Is Sociology Ready to Take Animals Seriously Now?
Originally published on Everyday Society, British Sociological Association; photo by Jo-Anne McArthur. Since it began to gather momentum at the turn of the 21st century, the sociological study of animals and society has struggled for legitimacy. Although someContinue reading
What Sociology Can Tell Us about Empathy for Animals
Empathy for Animals is a Core Human Value Humans across the globe share their homes with dogs, cats, rodents, and other animals. We call them companions, pets, or even family members. Thousands of pounds areContinue reading