New Beginnings

It has been far too long since I have written anything on my post, and it is time to get back to work. Graduate school has ended and I successfully defended my thesis, Navigating the Role of Responsibility: Habitus, Socialization, and Human Impact on Animal Welfare in a Community. This thesis can be found at the University of Texas at San Antonio website in the library archives and at Proquest. After taking a bit of a break, it is time to get back to work. I started a website, www.donovanshope.org, which focuses on reuniting lost dogs and cats with their families, finding homes - foster and permanent - for found dogs and cats, and for connecting others to shelters, rescues, and other helpful resources.

I just read a post on my personal Facebook page, from Ricky Gervais, that stated "I believe the greatest privilege in this world is to use your freedom of speech for those who have no voice." So beautiful and impactful. It was the push I needed to return to my blog, which was initially started as a class project, but which possesses a message that is at the core of my existence. That message is that we have to strive to better understand and care for each other - human and non-human alike - as co-habitants on this wonderful Earth!!!

Seems I neglected to put my previous assignment up on my blog! Darn it! Here is the link to my Digital Story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADKjB-mNmpQ

Here is the final assignment for SOC 6903. The slideshow is a series of images that I captured throughout the semester. Each image is something that I am grateful for and is part of our Visualizing Value: The Gratitude Project. This was a wonderful exercise in appreciation.

http://www.slideshare.net/enkidder/gratitude-project-erin-n-kidder-spring-2014

I just watched a video about a lawyer fighting for the rights of animals - asking that they have limited rights as "persons" under the law. After I watched it, I did a little research into whether it is feasible for animals to be considered persons. Turns out, he is on to something. A "person" can in fact be a non-human. Take for instance, corporations. Corporations are non-human entities protected under the law as as person. I am going to dig a little deeper on this issue and explore what other research is out there on this topic. In the meantime, take a look at this engaging video.

https://screen.yahoo.com/new-york-times/animals-persons-too-090015265.html

Just A Dog Cartoon

CARTOON ANIMATION Erin N. Kidder

Just A Dog

Here is the cartoon I created in Plotagon for class.

https://plotagon.com/6112

VISUALIZING DATA FOR FOCUS Erin N. Kidder

Assignment for SOC 6903.002

INFORMATION GRAPHICS AND DATA VISUALIZATION

We have all heard the old adage a picture is worth a thousand words. This is true when we consider the impact information graphics, animated graphics, and interactive graphics can have on sociology. While sociology has relied heavily on the written word, much of the content can be dense. By providing a snapshot of information through graphics, sociologists can spark an interest in people who may otherwise avoid reading lengthy articles. Infographics can help people better understand data by integrating words and pictures in a “fluid and dynamic way”, can help reveal “submerged” information, and can be universally understood, according to the blog Communication Nation (http://communicationnation.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-is-infographic.html). For purposes of my research on animals and society, infographics can help connect humans to animals in a useful manner.

My sociological focus applies the concepts of habitus and field (habitus being “the mental structures through which they apprehend the social world” (Bourdieu 1089:18), and field being the confines “serving to constrain agents, whether they are individuals or collectivities” (Ritzer 2008:86)) to the investigation of humans’ behaviors toward and attitudes about animals. Most specifically, how those concepts help or hinder the welfare of animals in a community. I am interested in exploring how individuals are brought up to think about animals within the context of their lives, and how that upbringing may be a universal phenomenon within a community of individuals with similar upbringing. Infographics can help shed light on this focus – at least certain aspects of this focus – in various ways. Below are just a few examples of how infographics, animated graphics, and interactive graphics may be useful to the sociological study of animals and society.

Infographics (Static)

Through my work at an animal shelter, I found that pictures do indeed lend a certain emphasis to the issue of the importance of spaying and neutering cats and dogs. By providing a graphic detailing how many offspring a dog and/or cat can produce over the course of their life, helps shed light on just how quickly overpopulation can happen. This is especially crucial for cities, which face overwhelming populations of dogs and cats. For instance, San Antonio Animal Care Services took in over 30,000 dogs and cats in 2013 (www.sanantonio.gov/animalcare/Asilomar/2013/acs-asilomar-FY2013.pdf), and this does not even account for the many stray dogs and cats still roaming the streets or those allowed to wander loose. An overpopulation of dogs and cats is often a direct result of not spaying and neutering. This is information that can be easily represented by showing the graphic of one female dog and/or cat, followed by a whole pyramid of other dogs and cats that can be born to that one dog and/or cat over their lifetime if not spayed or neutered. Most importantly, this information can be used in applied sociology whereby sociologist can help to shape a different trajectory for communities regarding animal welfare issues, such as overpopulation.

Animated Graphics (Video)

Animated graphics would be useful in helping an audience travel through the history of animal welfare. For instance, it would be a useful tool to show how organizations like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), or the Humane Society, or American Humane developed and under what circumstances. An animated graphic can indicate what events took place sparking animal welfare laws and reforms nationwide. This can be done as a moving timeline that can help transport a user to that moment in time by using photos and brief data associated with that period of time in animal welfare. This type of information would also be useful in offering an historical perspective on the changing attitudes about and behaviors toward animals in our society.

Interactive Graphics

Interactive graphics would be a great method of informing people about their own community. Take for instance violence toward animals. By providing an interactive map of a community, which indicates the number of violent offenses toward animals (perhaps the number of incidents, the number of prosecuted cases, etc.) when a user moves the cursor over the area, it would offer unique and detailed information about animal welfare within a community. Again, this information would be useful for applying sociological information to better understand the needs of animals and humans in a community, and ideally to help shape programs and policies that can target particular areas of a community. In other words, if there is a specific hot spot on a map, indicated by an interactive graphic, where animals are often victims of violence, then this may be an indication that a humane education program would be beneficial to that part of the community.

VIDEO CLIP and LEARNING CONCEPT for SOC6903 Assignment

VIDEO CLIP and LEARNING CONTEXT Erin N. Kidder

The video, “Values: The Foundation of Farming – Responsibility to Care for Our Animals” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI5JHMLk3O8), is useful when discussing the broader topic of animals and society, especially as the discussion is broken down into some core sociological concepts, such as socialization and social capital. In the clip, four individuals – two brothers and their spouses – are interviewed. The are owners of a dairy farm in Wisconsin which has been a thriving family business for decades, and even as they have expanded their business, they have managed to make animal comfort and well-being priority number one. In a world where monetary gain often comes at the cost of the well being of others, this family understands the importance of taking care of those who are ultimately taking care of them, and in turn, others. In other words, they have an understanding of the symbiotic nature of our world.

From a sociological perspective, this video can be employed to help compare differences in the way animals are treated and cared for from one dairy farm to another. Many factory farms are not created for animal comfort; rather they are created to maximize dairy production for profit with little regard for the welfare of the animal and indeed, little concern for the consumers. This begs the question, what is it about the humans who operate the dairy farm in the video that creates a different vision of how to operate their business?

Of course this is just one topic within the realm of animal welfare; however, it is an excellent example of socialization and social capital. The interviewees discussed their upbringing and their education as integral factors in their desire to work with the animals on the farm in a harmonious way. They also discuss their collaboration with the University of Wisconsin in creating comfortable and humane quarters for the animals. Most importantly, the interviewees discuss the importance of taking care of the animals – making them comfortable and keeping them healthy – because in turn, those animals will produce quality product which ultimately takes care of others. The dairy farm owner’s livelihood is dependent on the animals and the animals are dependent on the farm owner’s for their own well-being. 

The farmers’ socialization (i.e. process of developing social norms) to become conscientious and compassionate stewards of their industry was part of their upbringing. Through collaboration with others (i.e. the University of Wisconsin), they have developed tremendous social capital (networks) in an effort to expand their values.

A lesson plan to discuss the sociological concepts of socialization and social capital may include the following questions:

1.              Why is it important for animals and humans to live more harmoniously?

2.              What lessons can help in one’s upbringing (at home and in school) which may help develop a more humane approach to our every day existence, whether that be in our personal or professional lives?

3.              If humans have control over the ability to maintain a sustainable existence (i.e., where our world can endure and remain productive), how can the socialization process help?

4.              In the video clip, the farmers discussed their efforts to create a comfortable space for the animals, as a means of producing a higher quality product. Is this something that your own socialization has prepared you to contemplate?