NYU Animal Studies?

[curiousbearasks]

Does anyone know who accepted the NYU Animal Studies position?

Congratulations!

[for real]

Who cares? It's animal studies. Is there really a job for animal studies in sociology? I hate to sound mean, but this new section of the ASA should not exist.

[hmm]

Here are three quick reasons to care:

1.) Approximately half of the World's population (3.3 billion people) eat meat. Can you saw swine flu? Ecoli? Not to mention the fact that this group is either killing their own food or allowing food to be killed in their name. Killing. Important foundation to understand here.
2.) $$$. Agribusiness is huge, and with big money comes big research funds. May not be a bad move for sociology to try to dip into that well as a field. Think of it this way, we are stealing biological anthropology but framing it in a way that makes it more palatable, contemporary, and fundable. Do you want a job in two or three years? Let the money flow.
3.) Humans --> Animals. To understand human society we must understand our bodies as animals.

[also]

Here's another quick reply: NYU will create a major in anything (or a campus anywhere) provided you throw enough money at them.

www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2010/09/23/nyu-creates-animal-studies-initiative-to-support-interdisciplinary-research-coursework-in-emerging-academic-field.html

[yep]

As sociologists, we are also well positioned to understand group dynamics, which animals have!

[tilted]

Well put. "for real" got totally owned there!

[curiousbearasks]

The ASA Animals and Society section is hardly new.

It's interesting too that statements by "for real" were the same types of dismissive arguments thrown around during the creation of the Race, Gender and Class and Section for Racial and Ethnic Minorities sections.

There is no reason to be nasty about it. I imagine a position within a center dedicated to Animal Studies with some of the best people in the field and in a great city would be quite amazing.

Congratulations to the new faculty member!

[NYU alum]

Here's the winner:

www.environment.as.nyu.edu/object/environment.jeffsebo

It looks like NYU has a couple heavy-hitters involved with this thing: Dale Jamieson, the philosopher and colleague of Peter Singer; and Colin Jerolmack, the sociologist "pigeon guy"

[say what]

did curiousbearasks really associate animal studies with racial and ethnic studies!?!!? I get what you are trying to say - but dude!

[defendcuriousbears]

I think the point is that topics of inquiry that we now take for granted as legitimate were once considered absurd.