Who's a good boy then? Anthropocentric masculinities in veterinary practice

Abstract

Veterinary surgeons (vets) provide us with a fascinating platform to study anthropocentric and zoocentric beliefs, which we argue are gendered in both their genesis and practice. Gendered in the sense of the double meaning of our title ‘who's a good boy then?’, which reflects both a default male gender and a patronizing masculine claim to mastery over the animal. In addition, veterinary practices are organized in specifically masculine ways that, despite the demographic feminization of the profession, are oblivious to distinctively gendered practices and concerns and thus to the reproduction of gendered inequalities. The research also focuses on how there is a tendency for vets to neglect their own bodies for the sake of the animal's welfare (zoocentrism) but, at the same time, this reflects and reproduces masculine anthropocentric demands for human supremacy involving linear rational and effective control over the animal as a necessary part of their commercial and career success. In the empirical presentation, we show how organizational gendering within the gendered organization of veterinary surgery occurs at all levels, sometimes openly and explicitly, but also covertly and implicitly. In seeking to interrogate the covert and implicit in gender asymmetry, we draw on post‐humanist feminist philosophical perspectives that facilitate our challenging of the gendered anthropocentric organization of veterinary work.

Gender still at work: Interrogating identity in discourses and practices of masculinity

“…Theoretically, this focus has revolved around poststructuralist and posthumanist feminism (Knights, 2000(Knights, , 2006Knights & Kerfoot, 2004), first through theorizing identity and power (Knights & Roberts, 1982;Knights & Willmott, 1985) and then developing critical discourses of masculinity. In particular, a target has been the limited degree of interrogation around notions of identity (Knights & Clarke, 2017) and especially in relation to discourses and practices of masculinity (Clarke & Knights, 2018b;Collinson, Knights, & Collinson, 1990;Knights, 2015;Knights & Collinson, 1987;Knights & Murray, 1994;Knights & Tullberg, 2012).…”

“…Interestingly, in empirical research among academics and veterinary surgeons, we have found resignation to be the most dominant strategy although emulating men or dismantling gender difference did occur (Clarke & Knights, ; Knights & Clarke, ).…”

“…5 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25943326 6 I readily switch from the impersonal to the personal pronoun throughout this article since, as academics we ourselves areas much the subject matter as are the participants in our empirical research. 7 This section draws on but seeks to developKnights (2000).8 Or should we say 'differance' (Derrida) in the sense that the difference between the genders is also one in which there is both deference of women to men and a continuous deferral of confronting the relationship for fear of undermining the power on which it rests.9 Interestingly, in empirical research among academics and veterinary surgeons, we have found resignation to be the most dominant strategy although emulating men or dismantling gender difference did occur(Clarke & Knights, 2018b;Knights & Clarke, 2018).10 For a detailed analysis of Foucault's ambivalence towards human rights in the sense of both critiquing its humanist promotion of the autonomous subject while subversively making them serve the interests of critique, seeGolder (2015).11 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/10/white-women-donald-trump-victory (accessed 17 November 2018).KNIGHTS…”

Animals, veterinarians and the sociology of diagnosis

“…), and even the impact of Brexit discussions on global labour flows (Enticott ). Others have identified a masculine gendering of veterinary practice (Clarke and Knights ), despite the dramatic feminisation of the profession (Allen , Irvine and Vermilya ). Scholars in organisational studies have also highlighted professional identity struggles and significant anxiety, partly caused by the contrast between training in a positivist, objectivist science and the lived reality of work (Clarke and Knights ), and the marketisation common to both academia and veterinary practice (Knights and Clarke ).…”

Multispecies leisure: human-animal interactions in leisure landscapes

“…Many of the papers in this special issue, and numerous others in the wider literature, focus predominantly on the positive, beneficial aspects of multispecies encounters and leisure and reflect close bondseven loveacross species boundaries (Nottle & Young, 2019). Nickie Charles' research has posited that pets can be understood to be kinfamily members in many circumstancesand that they provide emotional support, comfort and security to many people (Charles, 2014;Charles & Davies, 2011) and often serve as substitutes for human relations. Leisure researchers could usefully add to this line of enquiry, considering if and how pets (and other animals in some circumstances) are incorporated as family members into family leisure activities.…”