CFP: Minding Animals

Submission deadline: February 15, 2012

Conference date(s):
July 4, 2012 - July 6, 2012

Go to the conference's page

Conference Venue:

Utrecht University
Utrecht, Netherlands

Topic areas

Details

This conference is the second in a series of conferences about scientific, ethical and social issues related to human interactions with and uses of animals. The aim of the conference is to bring together academics from different areas (animal welfare, animal ethics, and animal studies in general) with politicians and a broad variety of interest groups. The conference offers a platform for exchange of information about research developments, debates about controversial political and ethical issues concerning the treatment of animals and a variety of cultural activities around animals.

The Utrecht Conference will consist of keynote talks, parallel academic sessions based on the call for papers, workshops for the Minding Animals Study Circles, and the Protecting the Animals Seminar Series in which animal advocacy organisations and community advocates will present and discuss their work. The conference will be supported by an active social and arts programme.

Submit an abstract for an academic presentation

Besides a great number of excellent keynote speakers from different disciplinary backgrounds, there will be many parallel sessions featuring presentations based on this call for papers. Abstracts should contain the main question, line or argument, and (expected) conclusions. The abstracts will be reviewed with respect to quality and academic rigor. 

Please keep in mind that the abstract text can be no longer than 600 words. Your abstract must be in Times New Roman or Calibri 12pts. In addition, the title can be up to 10 words.

Submit an abstract

On the Abstracts Form, you will be asked to nominate from one of six themes in which you would like your abstract considered for inclusion in the programme. Abstracts can be submitted via the website (www.uu.nl/hum/mindinganimals) until 15 February 2012. We particularly welcome abstracts for the sessions listed below. (It is also possible to submit abstracts that do not fit in any of the topics mentioned below, as we have reserved slots for open sessions.) More information on these sessions and on how to submit abstracts can be found on the website.


1. The Human-Animal Relationship
1a. The animal in art, literature and film
1b. Animals in a human society
1c. The influence of animals on physical and mental health of humans
1d. Sharing hybrid communities
1e. Communication on animal issues
1f. Educating animal welfare issues

2. Animal Capacities
2a. Positive emotions in animals
2b. Higher order cognitive capacities in animals
2c. Capacities and moral status of non-mammalian animals

3. Animal Welfare
3a. Measuring welfare
3b. Concepts of animal welfare
3c. The end of life/ killing animals
3d. Genetic welfare problems in companion animals
3e. Domestication and animal welfare

4. Animal Ethics
4a. The moral relevance of socio-cognitive abilities in animals
4b. Animals and the harm of death
4c. Moral concerns beyond animal welfare: changing what animals are
4d. New developments in animal ethics
4e. Ethics and law

5. Animals and Sustainability
5a. Farm animal welfare in sustainability: rebalancing people, planet and profit?
5b. Animal resilience
5c. Animal movements and migrations
5d. Sustainability aspects of the human-animal interaction beyond the animal

6. Animals and Public Policy
6a. Political philosophy and the representation of animals in politics
6b. Context-dependency of duties of care to animals?
6c. The relevance of stakeholder-relations and stakeholder involvement for the development of measures to safeguard animal welfare
6d. Animal welfare – the veterinarian’s role

Submit a contribution for the Protecting the Animals Seminar Series (PASS)

The PASS is a forum for animal advocacy organisations and other community advocates to present and discuss their work and concerns with all conference participants.

Send the completed PASS contribution form and more information about your contribution to [email protected]. Please mention as the subject of your e-mail "PASS contribution". Those proposals will be reviewed by the PASS review committee.

Download the PASS contribution form 

  • Deadline for Abstract Submissions 15 February, 2012
  • You will be notified of your acceptance early March, 2012
  • Early bird registration is possible until end of March 2012

Supporting material

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