How Animal Rights and Animal Welfare Nonprofits and NGOs Use Theories of Effectiveness and Inclusivity to Promote an End to Factory Farming
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis examines ideologies, tactics and strategies of animal rights and animal welfare nonprofits and NGOs.Animal rights and welfare movements (collectively referred to as animal protection movements) stem from schools of thought that advocate for the interests of non-human animals.This thesis focuses primarily on movements against factory farming, in the context of nonprofits and NGOs that promote animal rights and/or animal welfare.Two overarching themes are present in both animal rights and animal welfare movements: effectiveness and inclusivity.In addition, some nonprofits and NGOs have more grassroots approaches, while some have more corporate focuses.Thus, this thesis examines nonprofits along the animal rights vs. welfare distinction, the effectiveness vs. inclusivity distinction, and the grassroots vs. corporate distinction.This thesis then addresses the question of whether there are correlations, in terms of whether nonprofits that tend to focus on rights vs. welfare tend to be more likely to focus on effectiveness vs. inclusivity, and whether they tend to be more grassroots vs. corporate.This thesis also looks at whether, or how much, animal rights vs. animal welfare language affects a nonprofit9s tactics.To answer these questions, I examine mission statements of selected nonprofits, and evaluate whether each mission statement suggests a greater focus on animal rights vs. welfare, utilitarianism vs. inclusivity, and grassroots vs. corporate.I also conduct interviews with people who have worked for and/or founded some of these nonprofits.Ultimately, I conclude that, in terms of overall leanings, there does not seem to be a strong correlation between this and whether said nonprofits9 mission statements are more likely to focus on utilitarianism or inclusivity.However, when looking at specific campaigns and goals, it seems that an animal rights leaning correlates with a focus on inclusivity, while an animal welfare leaning correlates with a focus on utilitarianism or effectiveness.A focus on animal rights also seems to correlate with a grassroots focus, and a focus on animal welfare seems to correlate with a corporate focus.In addition, the animal protection movement is examined in historical and modern contexts, particularly in terms of how the animal protection movement fits into the sphere of social movements.
Author: Bishop, Tarun
Institution: University of Eastern Finland
Language: English
Topic: Animal Law and Welfare
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7215605144