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?

Our rights as consumers

This is a great link to a discussion which made me wonder about Our rights as consumers? This is one of my arguments against these ag-gag bills that the agricultural industry is trying to pass. I think this is a good discussion, but I do not think it is limited to vegetarians, or vegans, or animal rights activists. This is a human discussion, a humanitarian discussion, a consumer discussion. If what goes on in factory farms - which from my research is often appalling - is not wrong according to the agricultural industry (and I am talking about the big names like Tyson), then why can't consumers know EXACTLY what is going on? Why shouldn't we be made aware of the treatment of our fellow creatures - the ones who we share this Earth with and who nourish us in so many respects - and then make an informed decision as to what we are eating? I would love discussion on this; but, discussion from a broad perspective. Do you really want to know what you are eating? Do you want to know where your food came from? Do you care? If you don't, why? If you do, why?

Journey of Hope and Love

Here is a YouTube video, Journey of Hope and Love. It is a journey through a part of my life - what I see when I look at my fellow creatures.

On Point Discussion about "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"

Above is a link to an OnPoint discussion that I heard on NPR the other day about The Next Great Extinction. It is a wonderful discussion about what many scientists term the Sixth Extinction. This is an extinction that may happen largely due to the human impact on our planet. Elizabeth Kolbert, author of "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" is the guest on Tom Ashbrook's show and she has some remarkable insights. For instance, humans operate - evolve - at a pace different from that of animals. As "agents of change" as she terms humans, I wonder, why are we not more often taking into consideration the destructiveness of our actions on other species? Our capacity to intelligently create all that we have created in this world has led us down this path toward this eventual extinction. Kolbert argues for us to use our intelligence to figure out how to inflict less suffering upon the creatures with whom we share this Earth. I agree.

New Multimedia class posting:

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING Erin N. Kidder

http://delicious.com/enkidder

New Post for Multimedia class

Week 6: Gratitude Project

I am grateful for warm evenings out at La Tuna! The La Tuna Grill food is incredible, the beer is cold, and every so often you can get serenaded by good musicians! I love evenings like this when I can relax Johnny, Arnold D. Horshack, and good friends. Friday, February 21, 2014

RSS HOMEPAGE AND ALERTS

For Multimedia class assignment

RSS Homepage: http://protopage.com/erinnkidder

Google Alerts:  Animal Welfare, Animals and Society, Habitus and Field, Animal Cruelty

Seedy side of the circus

Seedy side of the circus

Salon.com posted this story about the "seedy side of the circus" and it compelled me to share it here. It is hard to understand how humans can be so arrogant and manipulative. The scariest part is that humans have the capacity to make a choice. We can either hurt others or not hurt others. This seems like a no brainer to me. More on this later.

Feb. 3, 2014

EXPLORING ONLINE SOCIOLOGY 

Each of the sociology and related sites provided on the syllabus offer a wealth of diverse information, ranging from racism, to feminism, to social media, and much more. As a student of sociology, I find each website to be interesting, though not all sites are necessarily relevant to my focus, which is animals and society (i.e., human-animal relationships).

There were a few websites, such as OpenLearn, Teaching with Data, the Society Pages, and The Sociological Imagination that perhaps lend themselves a bit more to my focus due to their array of topics; however, if I have to select one off of the list, I would select OpenLearn. Generally speaking, I am often forced to fit my focus into existing sociological research (methods and theory) due to the limited focus on animals and society within the sociological discipline. This is something I do not mine and in fact, I actually appreciate being part of a somewhat developmental aspect of social science, which has focused on humans. OpenLearn seems to offer a range of topics, including topics on animals.

OpenLearn appears to have a wealth of information, including but not limited to health, education, the arts, finances, science and technology, and nature and environment. The last topic most closely pertains to my focus as it discusses issues regarding species, habitats, and conservation, to name a few areas. Additionally, the site has a section on society, which contains links to policy and legal matters. As I go forward with my educational goal of gaining a PhD in Public Policy, I can see where this site, more than the other, will continue to offer me valuable resources for my area of focus, which is ultimately to improve the human-animal relationship.

As a side note, I have also discovered online resources more directly related to my focus. Here are three: 1) Society and Animals Forum http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org; 2) Homepage for Animals and Society section of the American Sociological Association http://www2.asanet.ogt/sectionanimals/; and 3) The British Sociological Association Animal/Human Studies Group http://www.britsoc.co.uk/study-groups/animalhuman.aspx.

ONLINE MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM

Feb. 3, 2014

ONLINE MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM

The world is a changing place indeed, and Miller’s (2011) article provides a clear outline of how multimedia systems may be incorporated into the learning environment as a means of enhancing curriculum and improving student-instructor engagement. Miller describes multimedia systems as “the combinations of different types of media that appeal to more than one perceptual sense, such as images with text or sound, or moving images and sound” (p.2). The seemingly general description encapsulates content such as slideshows, video games, graphics, virtual domains, and more, and offer “symbolic communication that are not predominantly text-based” (p. 2). Miller goes on to explain that those working with “digital learning sources” will do best to conceptualize “online multimedia within the context of an information generation and processing system” comprised of five components: distribution, location, collection, conceptualization, and production (p. 5).

Distribution is simply the availability of digital content on the Internet. This content is at the disposal of instructors and can be used for teaching and learning purposes. Familiar names such as The New York Times, ABC News, The Wallstreet Journal, and NPR all offer digital information, which is easily accessible for classroom sharing. Additional tool, such as YouTube, SlideShare, and blogs, not only provide digital information, but they also allow users to create and distribute their own content. Searching for content, perhaps even at sites like the ones listed above, can be done through the component of location.

Locating content can be “daunting” as Miller states (p. 8). Knowledge of search engines, for instance, Google, Safari, and others, can help find content more easily. Search engines like Google, compartmentalize information even further with Google Images and Google Video, helping the user to narrow precise content down even more. In the article, Miller explains that, “Perhaps the best and simplest way to facilitate location, however, is by creating a multimedia homepage comprised of push vehicles such as RSS feeds” (p. 8). RSS feeds more intuitively seeks information from key websites the user has visited and updates relevant and up-to-date information on the user’s homepage, alerting the user to the updated content; thereby minimizing time and effort in locating information. Once all of this content is located, the question then becomes, where does it all get stored?

The collection component is crucial if the user wishes to store digital content for retrieval at a later time. Similar to a library or a music and/or video collection, the digital information located and collected may be catalogued in an orderly manner. Tools, such as RealPlayer can do this with video and audio content for instance. Social bookmarks like Google Bookmarks, can help to collect and organize content for users. For instructors, this ability to collect the abundance of digital information and have it organized for easier retrieval, can be invaluable. Having the content accessible and organized allows for more time to conceptualize the way this information can be integrated into a classroom setting. Sites such as MacArthur Foundation, MindShift and others, are set up to help guide instructors with the multimedia teaching and learning content. Key to the aspect of conceptualization is, as Miller states, “the value of a piece of multimedia does not lie in the resource itself, but rather in how well it facilitates instruction and meets student learning needs” (p. 10). Without first understanding these components (i.e., distribution, location, collection, and conceptualization), it would be difficult for an instructor to effectively utilize multimedia content for classroom instruction. An instructor needs to have a clear vision as to just how the digital information works in conjunction with the other course material, or as Miller points out, “showing the real-world relevance of abstract content” (p. 11).

The four components mentioned above culminate into production, which the article clearly states is not simply limited to those who have “specialized media skills”. Though instructors can simply click on and show video or audio clips, or websites, or slide shows, they may also develop a level of proficiency to truly integrate the digital information by linking it directly to the course material (p. 12). Resources such as Mosaic Maker, SlideShare, or even Windows Movie Maker allow the instructor, as well as the students, to be the innovators and creators of their own content that can be distributed for classroom use (p. 12).

Interestingly enough, I have engaged in each of the five components Miller discusses, although, I had not previously put much thought into each process. In fact, I could not have articulated each component until after reading this article. While I do consider myself a digital immigrant, by virtue of having grown up in the 1970s and 1980s, I have managed to incorporate multimedia into my everyday life. It certainly is not with as much ease or swiftness as someone many years my junior, but for me it feels almost second nature at this point. For instance, I am a big fan of online news content such as CNN and shows like This American Life which Miller mentions in his 2011 article (p. 3). Those are just two name a few. I have recently started blogging and have read many blogs. Though I have used search engines like Google and Safari, I have not made use of RSS Feeds or bookmarks. I had a very limited knowledge of how they worked and didn’t understand until recently how both can help me organize all of the information I access in a more efficient manner.  With regards to conceptualization, I feel that I have managed – as a student – to effectively incorporate various aspects of digital information and content as a means of indicating my understanding of instructional material.

Moving forward academically, I plan to enlist RSS Feeds and bookmarks more generously in an effort to manage and maintain the heavy amount of content I retrieve. Hopefully this will help avoid any scatterbrain moments I may endure as I try to locate information for future projects.