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.