SOC 436 ANIMAL SOCIOLOGY



SOC 272 ANIMALS IN SOCIETY SYLLABUS FALL 2016

Instructor: Dr. Angela Garcia

Room: Smith 300

Phone: x3154

Email: agarcia@bentley.edu

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:00 to 3:00, Weds., from 1:00 to 2:00, and by appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The study of the relationship between animals and society is a relatively new and growing area of interest within sociology. Understanding our relationship to animals as pets, as food or other products, as laborers, as subjects in laboratory experiments, and as wild animals is particularly important in today’s society where environmental concerns, provision of food for the world’s human population, and ethical debates about the use of other beings are current and likely to be increasingly important as the 21st century unfolds. In this course we will use a sociological perspective to explore the relationship between animals and humans in contemporary society. The methodological approaches focused on by the class will include qualitative sociological techniques such as ethnographic field work, interviewing, discourse analysis, auto-ethnography, or visual sociology. The theoretical perspectives used will fall under the general category of social psychology and may include symbolic interactionist, social constructionist, and ethnomethodological frameworks.

GOALS OF THE COURSE:

The goals of the course are 1) to expose students to sociological perspectives on the place of animals in human society and on the relationship between animals and humans, and 2) to expose students to social science research which investigates the relationship between humans and animals, and 3) to expose students to qualitative sociological research methods.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students in this course will learn:

1. How social factors (e.g., gender, class, culture) affect individuals’ perspectives on animals and how they should be treated.

2. How to read and understand sociological research based on qualitative research methods (such as ethnographic methods, interviews, discourse analysis, or visual sociology).

3. How ethical principles are applied to research involving human subjects.

4. How to choose a topic for research and define a research question from that topic.

5. How to write an interview guide.

6. How to conduct an interview.

7. How to analyze qualitative interview data.

8. How human’s relationships with animals differs depending on the type and capabilities of the animal.

9. How humans relate to wild animals differently from domesticated animals.

10. Understand the ethical issues involved in the treatment of animals used for human purposes such as food or other products.

11. Understand the reasons why humans choose meat-based, vegetarian or vegan diets.

12. Understand the experience of animals used in zoos and circuses and the debates about how best to treat them.

13. Understand the experiences of animals used as laboratory research subjects and the ethical and legal issues around their treatment.

14. Understand the ways in which humans can abuse or abandon companion animals and society’s efforts to prevent or correct to that behavior.

15. Understand how shelters and animal rescue organizations work.

16. Understand the ethical issues around euthanasia and the arguments in favor of “no kill” shelters.

17. Understand the animal rights movement and the ways in which societal expectations about the place of animals in human society are changing.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Course Readings

a. There are three books for the class which will be available at the on-campus bookstore:

Pepperberg, Irene M. 2008. Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process. New York: Harper Collins.

R. D. Rosen. 2007. A Buffalo in the House: The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West. New York: The New Press.

Roth, Melinda. 2002. The Man Who Talks to Dogs: The Story of Randy Grim and His Fight to Save America’s Abandoned Dogs. New York: Thomas Dunne Books.

b. There are a number of research articles and book chapters indicated on the syllabus.

2. Written Response to the Assigned Readings

a. Quotations: If you could only select one quote from this reading to communicate something important about the relationship of humans to animals, or to illustrate an important issue, controversy, or problem, what would that quote be?

b. Questions: Write a question which is prompted by the course reading. This could be a research question, an analytical question, or a potential interview question.

Instructions: Type both the question and the quote and its source (the author, title, journal or book name, and page number the quote appears on) and bring it to class with you on the day we discuss that reading. In addition, email the question and quote to me no later than 12:00 noon on the day before the class in which we will discuss the reading. This assignment will be graded done/not done. No late assignments will be accepted. A total of 5 written responses must be completed during the semester. (2 points each).

3. Take home Final Exam: A Life History of the Social Factors Affecting Your Relationship with Animals. Write a "life history" of your own experience with animals from childhood to the present. Include your experiences, your reactions to and thoughts about your relationship with animals throughout your life. What social factors affected your interactions with, exposure to, and attitudes towards animals? What role did parents, teachers, or peers play in your socialization to specific attitudes towards animals and their place in society? What role did institutions or organizations play in your relationships with animals?

This paper should involve a review and incorporation of relevant material from the course readings. This paper is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the course readings and to show what you have learned from them. Make sure to cite course readings as relevant (give author’s last name, year of publication, and page number for all quotes and paraphrases; give author’s last name and year of publication for all general references to a course reading). Include a bibliography at the end of your paper with the complete citations for each book or article (you may cut and paste these from the syllabus). (10-15 pages). Assignment due Weds., December 21 at 9:00 p.m. (via ). (40 points)

4. Group Ethnography Project

The class will work together to write a collaboratively authored paper based on the interviews conducted by class members. We will select the topic for the interviews and write the interview questions together in class.

a. Each student will find one person to interview. They will audiotape the interview and make a verbatim transcript of it. Excerpts from the interview may be used (with permission from the person interviewed) in the group ethnography project. (Interview & Transcript: 25 points)

b. The group project will be co-authored by all students who complete the course, including the instructor--the instructor will be listed as second author; “Students of So272” will be listed as the first author--all student coauthors will be listed alphabetically.

c. We will create working committees to do the work of analyzing the data, researching the literature review section of the paper, drafting the paper, editing the paper, and preparing the conference submission. Each student will be asked to join at least one of these committees. As much of the work as possible for putting the paper together will be done during regularly scheduled class time, but students may have some work to take home to finish in terms of drafting and editing portions of the paper.

5. Attendance

You should attend every class; attendance will be taken. If you miss a class for any reason, it is your responsibility to get the notes from a fellow student. Please be sure to find out what assignments or changes were announced during your absence.

Attendance is required and will affect your final grade. I will attempt to accommodate all students with legitimate issues. If you have an emergency, e.g., health/mental health, family emergency, etc., or religious observances which require your absence, please let me know. Excused absences will not count against your grade. Non-excused absences will affect your final grade in the following way:

2 unexcused absence -- no change

3 unexcused absences --one level reduction (e.g., 4.0 to 3.7)

4 unexcused absences -- two level reduction (e.g., from 4.0 to 3.3), and so on.

6. Participation in Class Discussions and Activities

You will be evaluated on your participation in class discussions (e.g., on readings, films, or quotes and questions) and in-class activities, including work on the group project. Class participation can include both oral and written contributions. For example, class participation can include asking or answering questions orally; it also includes in-class work on the group project—for example helping to write portions of the interview guide or sections of the group paper.

Class participation is graded "holistically." This means that I will not record every time you made a contribution or participated in an activity. I will use my global impression of the quality and consistency of your participation in order to reach a grade for this assignment. If you have any question about how you're doing with regard to class participation at any time in the semester, please contact me and I will be happy to discuss where I think you stand.

7. Changes in the syllabus may occur and will be announced in class.

GRADING:

The purpose of grading is to communicate to you how well you are doing in various aspects of the course. In addition to the grade, there will often be written comments on assignments in response to your work. Both of these types of information should help you to understand how the instructor perceives the quality of your work, and what you can do to improve (if needed). I will be happy to make an appointment with any student who wishes to discuss their work and how it was graded.

HOW YOUR GRADES WILL BE WEIGHTED:

1. Interview and transcript 25

2. Reading Responses: Five sets of

“Quotes & Questions” (2 points each) 10

3. Quality of class participation

(includes work on group project): 25

4. Final Take Home Exam 40

Total: 100%

GRADING PROCEDURE:

Your assignments will be given either a letter grade or a numerical grade which will be entered as a percentage. At the end of the semester, Blackboard will calculate a final grade. Blackboard calculates your translates the letter grades to percentages using the following scale:

A+ = 98.5%

A = 95

A- = 91.5

B+ = 88.5

B = 85

B- = 81.5

C+ = 78.5

C = 75

C- = 71.5

D+ = 68.5

D = 65

D- = 61.5

F = 55

I will then use the Bentley Grade Conversion chart (from Registrar's office) to convert your final percentage grade to the 4.0 scale. Final grades that fall between categories will be rounded (numbers five or over get rounded up, numbers under five get rounded down). There are no exceptions to this policy.

4.0 95-100

3.7 90-94

3.3 87-89

3.0 83-86

2.7 80-82

2.3 77-79

2.0 73-76

1.7 70-72

1.3 67-69

1.0 63-66

0.7 60-62

0 below 60

COURSE SCHEDULE: Changes in course schedule may occur and will be announced in class.

Thursday, September 8: Animals in Society: Course Introduction

Unit 1: Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology

Monday, September 12: Qualitative Research in Sociology: Ethnographic Approach and Theoretical Perspectives

Read: 1. Blumer, Herbert. 1992. “Society as Symbolic Interaction,” Pp. 24-28 in Candace Clark and Howard Robboy (Eds.), Social Interaction: Readings in Sociology, fourth edition. New York: St. Martins Press.

2. Arluke, Arnold. 1994. "Managing emotions in an animal shelter." Pp. 145-165 in Aubrey Manning and James Serpell (eds.) Animals and Human Society. Tomson Publishing Services. Reprinted in Spencer Cahill's (ed.) Inside Social Life, Fifth edition. 2007. Roxbury Press.

(“Quotes & Questions” due Sept. 11 by 12:00 p.m.)

Thursday, September 15: Qualitative Research Methods: In-Depth Open-ended Interviews

Read: 1. Rubin, Herbert J. and Irene S. Rubin. 2005. “Listening, Hearing, and Sharing Social Experiences.” Pp. 1-18 in Rubin & Rubin, Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

2. Sanders, Clinton R. 2003. “Understanding Dogs: Caretaker’s Attributions of Mindedness in Canine-Human Relationships,” Pp. 191-201 in James A. Holstein and James Gubrium (eds.) Inner Lives and Social Worlds: Readings in Social Psychology. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press.

(“Quotes & Questions” due September 14 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, Monday, September 19: Human Subjects Protection

In Class Film: “The Belmont Report” (on the protection of human subjects)

Thursday, September 22: Human Subjects Protection, continued

In class: Discuss Belmont Report film, human subjects protection issues, human subjects documents and consent forms for our class projects.

Read: Assigned portions of Bentley IRB website (specific pages TBA).

Unit 2: The Human/Animal Relationship

Monday, September 26: How are Humans Different from Animals?

Read: Chapters 1-5 in Pepperberg, Irene M. 2008. Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process. New York: Harper Collins.

(Quotes & Questions Due September 25 by 12:00 p.m.)

Thurs., September 29: Animal/Human Friendships

Read: Chapters 6-9 in Pepperberg, Irene M. 2008. Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process. New York: Harper Collins.

(Quotes & Questions Due September 28 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, October 3: Pets & Wild Animals: The Role of Animals in the Family

Read: A Buffalo in the House, Chapter 1-7

(Quotes & Questions Due October 2 by 12:00 p.m.)

Thursday, October 6: Death & Bereavement

Read: A Buffalo in the House, Chapters 8 to end.

Optional Readings: Atwood-Harvey, Dana. 2005. "Death or declaw: Dealing with moral ambiguity in a veterinary hospital." Society & Animals 13:4.

Planchon, Lynn A. et al. 2002. "Death of a Companion Cat or Dog and Human Bereavement: Psychosocial Variables." Society & Animals 10(1): 93-105.

(Quotes & Questions Due October 5 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, October 10: COLUMBUS DAY—NO CLASSES

Unit 3: How Humans Use Animals

Thursday, October 13: Food

(Food and Animals: Vegetarianism, Veganism, Ominvorianism, Organic vs. factory farms, the ethics of different diets, reasons for excluding meat from the diet, how people feel about food, social aspects of food, food and culture, social movements around food)

Read: 1. “Animal Agriculture.” Pp. 5-59 in Erik Marcus. 2005. Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, & Money. Boston, MA: Brio Press.

2. McDonald, Barbara. 2000. "‘Once you know something, you can't not know it’: An empirical look at becoming vegan." Society & Animals 8:1

(Quotes & Questions Due October 12 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, October 17: Food, Continued

Read: 1. Chapter 7, “Should We Eat Animals.” Pp. 104-119 in Robert Garner. 2005. Animal Ethics. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

2. Chapter 6, “Korea,” and Chapter 7, “Laos,”. from Tom Parker Bowles. 2007. The Year of Eating Dangerously: A Global Adventure in Search of Culinary Extremes. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

(Quotes & Questions due by October 16, 12:00 p.m.)

(Interview questions for Group Ethnography Project will be finalized today in class)

Thursday, October 20: Zoos

Read: 1. Chapter 9, “Zoos, Pets and Wild Animals.” Pp. 136-155 in Robert Garner. 2005. Animal Ethics. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

2. Choose one of the following:

a. Tresz, Hilda. 2006. "Behavioral management at the Phoenix Zoo: New Strategies and Perspectives." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9(1): 65-70.

b. Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy. 2004. "Ethics and welfare in Southeast Asian Zoos." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 7(3): 189-195.

c. Chapter 9, “Zoos, Pets and Wild Animals.” Pp. 136-155 in Robert Garner. 2005. Animal Ethics. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

(Quotes & Questions due October 26 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, October 24: Vivisection

Read: 1. Chapter 8, “To Vivisect or not to Vivisect?” Pp. 120-135 in Robert Garner. 2005. Animal Ethics. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

2. Choose one of the following:

a. Stibbe, Arran. 2001. Language, Power and the Social Construction of Animals. Society & Animals 9:2 (animal product industries)

b. Carbone, Larry. 2004. What animals want: Expertise and advocacy in laboratory animal welfare policy. New York: Oxford University Press.

(Quotes & Questions due October 23, by 12:00 p.m.)

Unit 4: Humane Societies and Animal Rescue Organizations

Thursday, October 27: Animal Hoarding, Abuse and Exploitation

Read: The Man Who Talks to Dogs, Chapters 1-6.

(Quotes & Quotations due October 26, by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, October 31: Animal Rescue Organizations

Read: The Man Who Talks to Dogs, Chapters 7-10

(Quotes & Questions due Oct. 30, by 12:00 p.m.)

Thursday, November 3: Animal Rescue Organizations

Read: The man who talks to dogs, Chapters 11-15.

(Quotes & Questions due November 2 by 12:00 p.m.)

Monday, November 7:

Read: 1. Chapter 1, “Georgia.” Pp. 1-23 in Stephan Bechtel. 2009. Dogtown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

2. Twining, Hillary, Arnold Arluke, and Gary Patronek. 2000. "Managing the stigma of outlaw breeds: A case study of pit bull owners." Society & Animals 8:1 (2000)

(Quotes & Questions due November 6 by 12:00 p.m.)

Thursday, November 10: Euthanasia/“No Kill” Debate

Read: 1. “The Myth of Pet Overpopulation,” Pp. 156-164 in Winograd, Nathan. 2007. Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. Almaden Books.

2. “The Power of One,” Pp. 167-178 in Winograd, Nathan. 2007. Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. Almaden Books.

Unit 5: Animal Rights and Animal Rights Movements

Monday, November 14: Animal Rights and Animal Rights Movements

Read: 1. DeFusco, C. R. 2005. Animal Consciousness, Grounds for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Xlibris Corporation.

2. Jamison, Wesley V., Caspar Wenk, and James V. Parker. 2000. "Every sparrow that falls: Understanding animal rights activism as functional religion." Society & Animals 8:3

3. Block, Gary. 2003. "The moral reasoning of believers in animal rights." Society & Animals 11:2

Thursday, November 17: (Audio recording and final transcript of interview due November 17)

Unit 6: Group Project

Monday, November 21: In-class work on group project

Thursday, November 24: THANKSGIVING BREAK—NO CLASSES

Monday, November 28: In-class work on group project

Thursday, December 1: In-class work on group project

Monday, December 5: In-class work on group project

Thursday, December 8: In-class work on group project

Monday, December 12: Conclusions: Summary and Policy Implications

(In-class work on group project)

EXAM WEEK: Take Home final exam due 12/21/11 at 9:00 a.m. to Turn-it-.

Important Information:

1. Course Technology Policy: Please turn off electronic devices, including computers, during class time unless specifically requested to use them by the instructor.

2. ESOL Center. “The ESOL Center offers writing and English language support to students who are English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Our faculty tutors specialize in working with multilingual writers and can provide feedback and strategies on writing for all course and career-related writing. You're welcome to come in for help at any stage of the writing process, from the brainstorming and organizing point through the drafting stage. In addition, you can receive support related to Power Point slide review, source documentation, oral presentations, pronunciation, and conversation fluency and enrichment. The ESOL Center is located on the lower level of the Bentley Library, room 026. Day and evening appointments can be scheduled through bentleyesol. or by dropping by the ESOL Center to see if a tutor is available. Because of the high demand for appointments, however, we encourage scheduling a time in advance whenever possible.”

3. The Writing Center. “The Writing Center offers one-on-one tutoring to students of all years and skill levels. Located on the lower level of the Bentley library (room 023), the Writing Center provides a welcoming and supportive environment in which students can work on writing from any class or discipline. Writers are encouraged to visit at all stages of the writing process; they can come with a draft, an outline, or just some initial thoughts and questions. Staffed by highly skilled student tutors, the Writing Center is open six days a week. Drop-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged and can be made online at bentley. or by phone at 781.891.3173. For hours and additional information, visit our website at bentley.edu/writing-center.”

4. Academic Integrity: The Bentley University Honor Code formally recognizes the responsibility of students to act in an ethical manner. It enjoins all students to maintain academic honesty in their own work (recognizing that most will do so because of their own high standards), to promote ethical behavior throughout the Bentley community, and to take responsible action when there is a reason to suspect dishonesty. It reads: “The students of Bentley University, in a spirit of mutual trust and fellowship, aware of the values of a true education and the challenge posed by the world, do hereby pledge to accept the responsibility for honorable conduct in all academic activities, to assist one another in maintaining and promoting personal integrity, to abide by the principles set forth in the honor code, and to follow the procedures and observe the policies set forth in the academic integrity system. In fulfillment of the Honor Code, all students are expected to adhere to Bentley’s academic integrity policy which can be found on Blackboard (via the Academic Integrity course page) and the Undergraduate Student Handbook/Graduate Catalog.”

Under no condition is plagiarism excusable. Any idea or language that did not originate with you must include a citation. For help in avoiding plagiarism, please visit:

or . The Bentley library webpage provides very helpful guidance on citing sources (). This course will use the service to check your work for originality.

Please see the Bentley academic integrity website to ensure that you understand all of the rules regarding academic integrity.

5. Disability Services. Bentley University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which stipulate no student shall be denied the benefits of an education solely by reason of a disability. If you have a hidden or visible disability which may require classroom accommodations, please make an appointment with the Senior Assistant Director of Disability Services, Stephanie S. Brodeur, within the first 4 weeks of the semester. The Office of Disability Services is located in the Callahan/University Police Building (POL, 2nd Floor, 781.891.2004). The Senior Assistant Director of Disability Services is responsible for managing accommodations and services for students with disabilities.

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