Hurl 402/502 Human Relations and Animal Rights
Fall 2003 -- 2 semester credits
Professor: Julie Andrzejewski
Office: EB - B133
Phone:
(320) 255-4109 or home 259-9455 Email: jrandrzejewski@stcloudstate.edu
Texts: You Can Save the Animals: 251 Simple Ways to Stop Thoughtless Cruelty (1999) Newkirk
The Dreaded Comparison: Human & Animal Slavery (1996) Marjorie Spiegel
The Food Revolution (2001) John Robbins
Being Vegan: Living with Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion (2000) Stepaniak
EXCERPTS/ARTICLES: 101 Reasons Why I Am a Vegetarian (www.vivavegie.org);
Eating Simply That Others May Simply Eat Global Hunger Campaign (www.globalhunger.net);
Animal Equality: Language and Liberation (2001) Joan Dunayer, Chap 1 & 9
Animal Liberation (1975) by Peter Singer
The Rhetoric of Protest Cave Animals' Agenda (N/Dec 2000); Like Animals Moretti (M/Apr 2002)
Shrimp: The Devastating Delicacy
The PETA Guide to Compassionate Living
Vegan Starter Guide (Compassion Over Killing)
One Required for Graduate Students, Extra Credit for undergrads:
Terrorists or Freedom Fighters: (2003) Ed. by Stephen Best & Anthony Nocella
Animal Equality: Language and Liberation (2001) Joan Dunayer, Chap 1 & 9
Prisoned Chickens Poisoned Eggs (1996) by Karen Davis
Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust (2002) by Charles Patterson
Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry (1997) Gail A. Eisnitz
Ocean Warrior (1994) by Paul Watson (Sexist, but good on sea animals)
Course Description: The content and activities of this course will work to foster global animal, human, and environmental justice. Toward that end, we will examine the interrelationships and consequences of human domination upon all other beings and the earth, with the primary focus upon non-human animals. The class will begin with an examination of how non-human animals are viewed within the dominant western capitalist paradigm. Multidisciplinary perspectives challenging this paradigm will be studied, including indigenous and non-western perspectives. The human use and abuse of animals for food (industrial agriculture), research (vivisection), education (dissection), various products (fur, leather, wool, feathers, jewelry, cosmetics, etc.), entertainment (racing, rodeos, bull fights, circuses, zoos, etc.), "sport" (hunting, fishing, target practice, etc.), pets, replacement organs, and other activities will be critically analyzed. Other human animal activities affecting all life on earth (deforestation, habitat destruction, pollution, war, urban sprawl, climate alterations, etc.) will also be studied focusing on their effects on non-human animals.
Some questions to be explored in this class: Through what justifications do human animals argue that they have the right to use, abuse or kill other sentient beings for their own purposes? What logical and moral arguments challenge these justifications? What is the definition of speciesism? Who benefits from speciesist policies and practices? How is language used to obscure the consequences and responsibility for human exploitation and destruction of non-human animals? What are the negative consequences of these activities on non-human animals? On human animals? Should non-human animals have the right to live a natural life? Should non-human animals be required to suffer and die for the purposes of human animals? What role do animal rights play in a comprehensive framework of personal (and global) social responsibility and environmental justice?
Course Objectives: In this course, participants will:
1. critically examine the interrelationships and consequences of human domination upon all other beings and the earth, with the primary focus upon non-human animals.
2. critically analyze how non-human animals are viewed within the dominant western capitalist paradigm and the consequences of profit maximization in global economic and political policies and practices.
3. explore alternative cultural and philosophical perspectives which challenge this dominant paradigm.
4. understand the concepts of speciesism, animal rights, and related ethical issues.
5. critically analyze the "benefits" of human exploitation of non-human animals and resource extraction on the environment and non-human animals. Which humans "benefit? Which humans lose? What are the consequences to non-human animals?
6. explore the interrelationship between human cruelty and violence toward non-human animals and cruelty and violence of human animals toward other humans.
7. deconstruct and critique the hidden values in language which serves to obscure and justify species domination.
8. critically examine the underlying profit and/or domination patterns in the use of non-human animals by human animals in light of objectives 1-7: Using animals for:
A. food B. research C. products D. education E. sports F. entertainment G. pets vs. companions H. replacement organs
9. critically examine the impact of human animal use and treatment of the natural environment and its affects on "wild" animals (non-human animals living in their natural habitat).
10. choose and practice personal actions which are congruent with new information and emerging ethical considerations of the rights of non-human animals, and global social responsibility.
Attendance and punctuality extremely important: Because there are only eight weeks of class, please be courteous to others in the class by assuring your own attendance and punctuality. If you know that you will have to miss classes, see the instructor to determine whether you should remain in the course.
Exams: Exams will cover the readings, videos, speakers, presentations, and overall concepts as developed throughout class discussions. They will be T/F, multiple choice, short answer, & short essay.
Assignments:
Mid-term and Final Exams (30% of your grade)
Attend Mad Cow/Mad Deer conference (at least two new sessions) on October 10th (5%)
Class participation, Attendance & Weekly Class Reaction Papers (15%)
Experiential and Action Projects, Oral report and Paper (50%)
Graduate Student Assignments:
1 Read one additional book listed above, write a synposis of the main points of the book (1 page), what were your key personal learnings (1 page), what changes you are practicing in your own life pertaining to the issues presented (1 page), and what you did to educate others in the class about your learnings (1 page). (Everyone sign up to read different books). It will be your responsibility to bring up information from your particular book to share with the class at appropriate times. Or, you may ask to share with the class in a short report on your paper. Or you may share with the class in other innovative ways.
2. Collectively plan and implement some educational event for the campus on Animal Rights or help with the Mad Cow/Mad Deer Symposium on Oct 10th.
Tentative Schedule: Each class will include time for discussion and questions about readings, videos, speakers, lectures, class exercises, course assignments, etc.
Sept 4 Fill out Cards: Name, Address, Phone, email, Major/Minor/Graduate Program
What brings you to this class?
Video: Life Behind Bars
Define speciesism (Spiegel & Singer), Declaration of Animal Rights
Graduate students who have read these before should sign up for (and begin reading) their book. Let's meet briefly at the end of class to identify who will read which books.
Discuss The Food Revolution (planet, environment, extinctions, etc.)
Assignment: Experiential and Action Project
Reading for Wed: 101 Reasons Why I Am a Vegetarian www.vivavegie.org or on Reserve, What's in the Meat? (Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, 2001) Eating Simply That Others May Simply Eat: The World Hunger Campaign
There's No Room for Chicken in a Healthy Diet
Go to www.Dawnwatch.com Read Email Etiquette. Subscribe to the email list.
Discuss video and 101 Reasons Why I Am a Vegetarian
Reading: You Can Save the Animals (YCSA) Introduction, How to Use This Book, Chaps. 1 & 2 Who Are the Animals? What Happens to Animals Who End Up as Dinner?
Video: Meet Your Meat (new version)
Reading: The Food Revolution (Chap 15 Reversing the Spread of Hunger)
Mad Cow/Mad Deer articles
Videos: short mad cow excerpt
Reading: The Dreaded Comparison Definitions, Poem: Sympathy, Foreward (Alice Walker), An Historical Understanding, Oppression in Language and Literature, Slaves and Masters, Social Relations: The Destruction of Security (pp. 13-50)
Sept 23 Speciesism: Challenging the constructed "reality" of human superiority
Questions/ discussion about projects, especially about educating others (Cave & Moretti)
Video: excerpts from Why Dogs Smile and Chimpanzees Cry
Reading: Animal Liberation Intro, Chap. 1
Sept 25 Speciesism: Challenging the constructed "reality" of human superiority cont.
Questions and discussion about readings -- Review for Midterm
Reading: The Dreaded Comparison: Transportation, The Unbearable Journey (51-58) The Rhetoric of Protest, Like Animals (short articles)
Sept 30 Midterm
Video: The Witness Use of Animals for their skins and fur
Everyday Activism: Making Our Daily Lives Congruent with our Values
Reading: YCSA Chap 6 What Do They Do to Animals in Laboratories?
The Dreaded Comparison: Vivisection (65-72)
Oct 2 Video: Lethal Medicine
Challenging Vivisection
Reading: YCSA Chap 3, Those Incredibly Amusing Animals, Chap 5 Pet of the Month or Friend for Life? Chap 7 Fur, Feathers, Baubles, Bits, Bones, Chap 8 Dissection Busters (Trafficking in exotic "pets")
Oct 7 Video: Eliza's story (The Natural Life of a Chicken)
Speaker: Barbara Statz, Animal Rights Coalition
Animals in Entertainment, Animals as Pets & the Cruelty Connection
Reading: YCSA Chap 4 There's Nothing Sporting About Hunting and Fishing Animal
Oct 9 Speaker: Chris Coen, Hunting and Fishing, Fur, Leather, Silk, etc.
Video: What's Wrong with Hunting?
Readings: Equality: Language and Liberation (Dunayer) Chap 1, 9
Oct 10 Mad Cow (BSE)/Mad Deer (CWD) conference at SCSU: Attend 2 events
Dr. Michael Greger
Oct 14 Changing Language, Domination, and Social Control
Video: excerpts: Animal Intelligence, Emotions, Consciousness
Reading: The Dreaded Comparison: In Defense of Slavery, Secrecy: Hiding from the Truth, Profits Over All, (73-90), read selections from www.bushmeat.org
Oct 16 Challenging Secrecy and Profits! Stopping the trade in bushmeat!
Video Excerpts: Bison Winter, Killing Coyotes
Reading: The Dreaded Comparison Power, Afterword to the Revised Edition, What Others Have Said (91-113), Shrimp: The Devastating Delicacy, Fish, lobsters, etc.
Dolphins, Tuna, whales, sea animals
Assignment: Write Reports on Experiential/Activist Projects
Oct 21 Global Capitalism and animals in their natural habitats
Video: Destruction of the Tiger
Reading:
Oct 23 Challenging speciesism against sea animals
Reports on Experiential/Activist Projects
Reading: YCSA Chap 9 Dealing with Animal "Pests" Taxes paying for killing predators, Veterinary Education
Study for Final Exam
Video excerpt: Extraordinary Cats