S. V. Polutin, Е. А. Samoilova. A Sociological Portrait of the Animal Welfare Movement in Russia

UDК 316.35:351.765

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.110.028.202001.184-199

Introduction. Promotion of volunteerism plays an important role in the formation of civil society in Russia. The animal welfare movement is one of the areas of such socially significant activities. Studies in this field are of relevance and practical significance, since the development of the animal welfare movement is a kind of social marker of the moral state of society. The study is aimed at identifying the organizational forms of the animal welfare movement in Russia as well as the motivation for people to participate in this activity, and at drawing up a sociological portrait of the Russian animal welfare activist.

Materials and Methods. The article presents the results of two sociological studies: a survey of animal welfare activists (2017) done using the method of informal guided (semi-structured) interviews and an online survey of members of animal welfare groups on social networks (2019) conducted using ‘snowball sampling’ technique.

Results. A portrait of a typical representative of the animal welfare movement in Russia has been done. The main achievements and problems of the animal welfare movement in Russia have been identified. The social composition of the animal welfare movement has been revealed as well as the activists’ motivation for participation in volunteering. An assessment of the level of development of the animal welfare in Russia as a whole and in the home regions of the animal welfare activists has been presented.

Discussion and Conclusion. The animal welfare movement is represented at the regional and federal levels, the degree of its development being a certain marker of the state of public morality and the level of maturity of civil society. However, the effectiveness of animal welfare activities is constrained by a number of factors: legal, organizational, financial, and informational ones. Overcoming these barriers depends on a sustainable dialogue between the authorities and civil society, especially at the regional level. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results by the authorities and volunteer movements for the implementation of civil initiatives and their legislative support at the federal and regional levels.

Keywords: social movement, animal rights activist, animal rights movement, animal welfare society, animal welfare activists, factors in promotion and barriers to the development of the animal welfare movement

REFERENCES

1. Levchenko N.V. Russian Animal Protectors: Who are they and how they Act? Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya = Sociological Studies. 2015; (2):151-155. Available at: http://socis.isras.ru/article/5150 (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

2. Munro L. The Animal Rights Movement in Theory and Practice: A Review of the Sociological Literature. Sociology Compass. 2012; 6(2):166-181. (In Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2011.00440.x

3. Munro L. Strategies, Action Repertoires and DIY Activism in the Animal Rights Movement. Social Movement Studies. 2005; 4(1):75-94. (In Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14742830500051994

4. Traïni C. The Animal Rights Struggle: An Essay in Historical Sociology. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; 2016. Available at: https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048527038/the-animal-rights-struggle (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Eng.)

5. Irwin P.G. A Strategic Review of International Animal Protection. In: D.J. Salem & A.N. Rowan (Eds.). The State of the Animals II. Washington, DC: Humane Society Press; 2003. p. 1-8. Available at: https://animalstudiesrepository.org/sota_2003/6/ (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Eng.)

6. Rodan D., Mummery J. Doing Animal Welfare Activism Everyday: Questions of Identity. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies. 2016; 30(4):381-396. (In Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2016.1141868

7. Herzog Jr. H.A. “The Movement Is My Life”: The Psychology of Animal Rights Activism. Journal of Social Issues. 1993. 49(1):103-119. (In Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1993.tb00911.x

8. Herzog H.A., Golden L.L. Moral Emotions and Social Activism: The case of Animal Rights. Journal of Social Issues. 2009; 65(3):485-498. (In Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01610.x

9. Amiot C.E., Bastian B. Solidarity with Animals: Assessing a Relevant Dimension of Social Identification with Animals. PLoS ONE. 2017; 12(1):1-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168184

10. Levkina L.I. The Potential of the Impact of “Grassroots Sel f-Organizing”Communities on the Development of Civil Society in Russia. Vestnik Nizhegorodskogo universiteta im. N.I. Lobachevskogo. Seriya: Sotsialnye nauki = Vestnik of Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod. Series: Social Sciences. 2016; (2):118-127. Available at: http://www.vestnik-soc.unn.ru/ru/nomera?anum=9769 (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

11. Reutov E.V., Reutova M.N., Shavyrina I.V., Turyansky A.A. Self-Organization in Local Communities: Practices and Mechanisms. Monitoring obshhestvennogo mneniya: Ehkonomicheskie i sotsialnye peremeny = Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. 2017; (4):145-164. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2017.4.10

12. Trotsuk I.V., Sokhadze K.G. Social Activity of the Youth: Approaches to the Assessment of Forms, Motives and Factors in the Contemporary Russian Society // Vestnik RUDN. Seriya: Sotsiologiya = RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2014; (4):58-74. Available at: http://journals.rudn.ru/sociology/article/view/6072 (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

13. Borovik M.A., Mikhel D.V. [Animal Welfare Movements: History, Policies, Practice]. Zhurnal issledovanij sotsialnoj politiki = Journal of Social Policy Studies. 2010; 8(2):227-252. Available at: https://jsps.hse.ru/article/view/3559 (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ.)

14. Gorbuleva M.S., Melik-Gaikazyan I.V., Melik-Gaikazyan M.V. [Why do Russian Animal Advocates Act this Way?]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya = Sociological Studies. 2016; (4):157-158. Available at: http://socis.isras.ru/article/6158 (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ.)

15. Nezhina T.G., Petukhova K.A., Chechetkina N.I., Mindarova I.S. Motivation of Youth Participation in the Volunteer Movement. Voprosy gosudarstvennogo i munitsipalnogo upravleniya = Public Administration Issues. 2014; (3):49-71. Available at: https://vgmu.hse.ru/en/2014--3/134407921.html (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

16. Polutin S.V., Samoylova E.A. Features of Formation of Zoovolunteer Movements: Regional Aspect. SocioTime / Sotsialnoe vremya = SocioTime. 2017; (2):95-103. Available at: https://www.volgatech.net/sociotime/2017_(%E2%84%962).pdf (accessed 22.09.2019). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

17. Bareev M.Yu., Samoilova E.A. Development of Animal Rights Volunteer Movement: Regional Experience. Regionologiya = Regionology. 2018; 26(1):141-154. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.102.026.201801.141-154

Submitted 24.10.2019; accepted for publication 18.12.2019; published online 31.03.2020.

About the authors:

Sergey V. Polutin, Director of Research Institute of Regionology, Head of Department, Department of Sociology, National Research Mordovia State University (68/1 Bolshevistskaya St., Saransk 430005, Russia), Dr. Sci. (Sociology), Full Professor, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0399-4154, polutin.sergei@yandex.ru

Elena A. Samoilova, Postgraduate, Department of Sociology, National Research Mordovia State University (68/1 Bolshevistskaya St., Saransk 430005, Russia), ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5393-6027, elenasamoilovakar@yandex.ru

Contribution of the authors:

Sergey V. Polutin ‒ statement of the research problem and identification of the main ways to solve it; data structuring and analysis.

Elena A. Samoilova ‒ collection of materials and initiation of the study; choice of research methodology; preparation of the initial version of the text with subsequent revision.

For citation:

Polutin S.V., Samoilova E.А. A Sociological Portrait of the Animal Welfare Movement in Russia. Regionology = Russian Journal of Regional Studies. 2020; 28(1):184-199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.110.028.202001.184-199

The authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
To download article