The Zoological Connection: Animal-Related Human Behavior

Animals and Sociology

“…The chapter considers the differences between the rights approaches and draws on a counter-movement that advocates experiments on other animals in order to introduce my notion of 'primacy identity politics' (Peggs, 2009a) as one way of exploring counter-arguments to animal rights. Bryant's (1979) argument for a zoological connection in sociology is confirmed in Chapters 1-8; societies are indeed broader than the human. Sociology is part of the re-visioning of humans, in our looking for and seeing other animals.…”

“…Human entertainment often centres on the performances of other animals and human speech often invokes other animal metaphors. Thus, for Bryant (1979), other animals are central to the study of society and for this reason he called on sociologists to recognize the important roles that other animals take in human societies.…”

“…But, sociology did not always overlook other animals; for example, the classical sociologist Max Weber suggested that human relations with other animals might be an appropriate subject matter for sociology (Myers, 2003, p. 49). However, Mead's subsequent position came to dominate and it was not until the 1970s that Bryant (1979) called on sociologists to recognize the roles of other animals in human societies. Although other animals are still seen as marginal to sociology, this is not to say that there has not been some progress.…”

“…Because other animals have been, and continue to be, associated with the biological rather than with the social it has been argued (by Mead (1934) and others) that the appropriate focus in sociology is on humans alone. However, Bryant (1979) argues that sociology has a great deal to offer in the study of the 'zoological connection'. In this chapter I take this further by beginning to explore issues associated with other animals in society as they might be examined in sociology.…”

Gender and leadership in animal sheltering organizations.

“…Part of the conference focused on developing shared language and definitions surrounding adoption and euthanasia -much of the conflict between "no kill" and "traditional" sheltering organizations centers on the language of euthanasia and how to define a healthy and adoptable dog versus a sick or behaviorally challenged dog (Weiss et al 2013). Clifton Bryant, one of the first sociologists to explore this area of research, declared that sociologists were "derelict" in their attention to the "zoological component in human interaction and attendant social systems" (Bryant 1979). Many researchers in the field attribute this generally to symbolic interactionism and specifically to G.H.…”