1,720,985 research outputs found
Centring individual animals to improve research and citation practices
No full textModern behavioural scientists have come to acknowledge that individual animals may respond differently to the same stimuli and that the quality of welfare and lived experience can affect behavioural responses. However, much of the foundational research in behavioural science lacked awareness of the effect of both welfare and individuality on data, bringing their results into question. This oversight is rarely addressed when citing seminal works as their findings are considered crucial to our understanding of animal behaviour. Furthermore, more recent research may reflect this lack of awareness by replication of earlier methods – exacerbating the problem. The purpose of this review is threefold. First, we critique seminal papers in animal behaviour as a model for re-examining past experiments, attending to gaps in knowledge or concern about how welfare may have affected results. Second, we propose a means to cite past and future research in a way that is transparent and conscious of the abovementioned problems. Third, we propose a method of transparent reporting for future behaviour research that (i) improves replicability, (ii) accounts for individuality of non-human participants, and (iii) considers the impact of the animals' welfare on the validity of the science. With this combined approach, we aim both to advance the conversation surrounding behaviour scholarship while also serving to drive open engagement in future science
Setting the Childless Free: An Ethnographic Study of the Practice of the Childfree Identity
No full textHeeding Sherry Ortner’s call to turn anthropological analysis inward, toward one’s own culture, the following dissertation seeks to understand the identity and practice of the voluntarily childless (hereafter “childfree”) movement in the United States. How do these individuals practice their identity, and how does the identity of “childfree” interact with other roles in their lives? How do they build meaning in a society that emphasizes children as a hallmark of adulthood? What other outlets do childfree individuals have for the “nurturing” tendencies of our species?
Combining sociohistoric analysis with identity and feminist theories, I embarked on nearly two years of participant observations in social media communities dedicated to the discussion and sharing of the childfree life. Additionally, regular analysis of online essays and
media sources, as well as 30 semi-structured interviews provided deeper insight into the daily lives of these individuals. Despite media claims that the childfree choice is unique to white, heterosexual, middle-class women, the population I found included men and women of various ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic groups. Likewise, combining literature and online observations, it appears this is a population that is cross-culturally significant.
Situated in the postmodern era with the rapid idea sharing of social media, I argue that the transition from childfree lifestyle to childfree identity is a symptom of the broader identity politics common in a world connected at the speed of thought. The resulting dissertation
provides a description of the conversation between the childfree and the dominant voice of parents, highlighting the rise of a new, parallel norm of choice. Accordingly, the struggle over identity definitions appear to be causing a schismatic fracturing of the community as the population increases.
Ultimately, Setting the Childless Free is about individuals who, in most cases, are otherwise well-adjusted members of their culture who have chosen a different path regarding parenthood. The chapters contained herein investigate how this choice has impacted their
interactions with family, religion, work, and their greater communities. Through the use of polyvocality, I share the emic perspective in an effort to provide a broader understanding of this new norm is sought
Americans Adopted Fewer Pets from Shelters in 2020 as the Supply of Rescue Animals Fell
Full text linkDemand for new pets certainly seemed to spike when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States in early 2020 and forced many Americans to spend more time isolated.
But adoptions from animal shelters and rescues actually fell 17% to approximately 1.6 million in 2020 from over 1.9 million in 2019, according to Shelter Animal Counts, a nonprofit that tracks data regarding animals that spend time in shelters.
How did Americans end up welcoming fewer rescued animals into their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic? The short answer is that there weren’t enough furry friends to go around
Approaching Intersections in the Classroom
No full textMost university professionals are accustomed to understanding diversity by demographics.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1046/thumbnail.jp
An Investigation Into Human to Dog Attachment Systems and Their Influence on the Degree of Aversion Used in Training
No full textThe purpose of my Master’s Thesis research is to determine if and what type of relationship exists between owner-to-dog attachment levels and the degree of aversion used in dog training. I also sought to determine if owner characteristics such as parental status, income, gender, and the like influenced the degree of aversion used. My primary hypothesis is that a negative correlation exists between attachment to one’s dog and aversion used in training. That is, as attachment scores increase, aversion scores decrease. In addition to testing this hypothesis, I collected data to determine if there are correlations between the following: gender and aversion used in dog training; parental status and aversion used in dog training; and, socioeconomic status and aversion used in dog training.
Data collection took place via online, self-report surveys and included demographic information on owners and their dogs, assessment of owner to dog attachment levels (utilizing the Pet Attachment Life Impact Scale), and a measure of aversion used in training. The survey also included open-ended questions that provided owners with the opportunity to add ethnographic value to the data. To validate the breakdown of training philosophies, I completed a pilot survey of professional trainers in which I asked them to classify training philosophies and assign degrees of aversion to commonly recommended methods and techniques. The results of this dog trainer survey aided in the construction of the aversion measurement tool included in the dog owner survey mentioned above.
My recruitment strategy involved multiple Internet outlets along with local canvassing. The sample consisted of 673 respondents from across the United States. Of that population, 90.1% were female and 88.0% identified as white. Additionally, 78.6% were not parents, but a large percentage of the population (65%) considered themselves their dog’s parent or guardian. A weak positive correlation (r=.217, p\u3c.001) was found between participants’ attachment and the reported frequency of aversion used in training their dogs. These results run contrary to my hypothesis. This thesis discusses the interpretations of these findings, including with respect to changing human-dog interactions in the United States.
This thesis provides a window into a growing phenomenon of “pet parents,” with data that could drive future research. The human-canine bond is an area of study still in development. In addition, a growing population of individuals identify as “childfree,” choosing not to raise children. Many of these individuals are “parenting” their pets, instead, and the majority of the current sample seems to reflect that population. A large and growing body of research exists concerning the perspective of the dog (cognition, neuroscience, and emotion research in particular), while most data collected from the human perspective focuses on epidemiological and physiological assessments of dog ownership. Future research could focus more on the emotionality of dog ownership to uncover driving factors behind, and to improve, the choices made in care and training
Approaching Intersections in the Classroom
No full textMost university professionals are accustomed to understanding diversity by demographics.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1046/thumbnail.jp
New Research Suggests Cat and Dog ‘Moms’ and ‘Dads’ Really are Parenting Their Pets: Here’s the Evolutionary Explanation Why
Full text linkHave you noticed more cats riding in strollers lately? Or bumper stickers that read, “I love my granddogs”? You’re not imagining it. More people are investing serious time, money and attention in their pets.
It looks an awful lot like parenting, but of pets, not people.
Can this kind of caregiving toward animals really be considered parenting? Or is something else going on here
Voluntarily Childless: Identity and Kinship in the United States
No full textVoluntarily Childfree: Identity and Kinship in the United States discusses what it means to make a life worth living without traditional parenthood. Themes include authenticity and autonomy, partnership and support, fulfillment of the need to nurture, freedom of choice, and a desire to leave the world a better place than we found it. Despite the stigmas of selfishness and solitude, the voices in Voluntarily Childfree speak poignantly of their commitment to a different type of family that includes romantic partners, friends, pets, and future generations through mentorship and leadership opportunities. At its core, the human desire to connect and be heard remains, regardless of the decision to reproduce or not. This book is recommended for students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and psychology.https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/fac_books/1564/thumbnail.jp
Pet Parents and the Loss of Attachment
No full textAmerican pet owners spent over 72 billion or more in 2018 ( [sic] (APPA, 2018). While it is tempting to focus on the capitalism of this booming industry, it may be more valuable to consider where that money is being spent, and on whom. With over 17 billion on veterinary care and pet insurance, and $15 billion spent on supplies, including over the counter medicine and toys, clearly many American pet owners are increasingly invested in their pets\u27 welfare and quality of life
Canine Play Pant: Bioacoustics Project of ECHOS Lab
Full text linkVocalizations in animals are an expression of an internal state. In canines specifically, they produce what is called a play pant. A play pant is defined as a forced, breathy exhalation , and happens as a by-product of exertion. This is observed when dogs are playing, and can function similar to human laughter. It signals that pleasure is being received and for the play to be continued. For our research, we video and audio record a human-dog pair while playing. We then analyze the audio recording in RavenLite through a spectrogram and waveform, using specific parameters. This research branched from previous research done by Simonet et al. to confirm her work. We hope to continue this research and find more influences of these vocalizations such as dogs\u27 life histories and evolution
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