Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency
For many years, the lives of animals used for research in Canadian universities have been hidden from public view due both to physical concealment (e.g., security procedures and impenetrable labs) and administrative concealment (non-disclosure of information). Their lives unfold out of sight both ph...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/24/3760 |
| _version_ | 1797382292196294656 |
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| author | Laura Janara Sue Donaldson |
| author_facet | Laura Janara Sue Donaldson |
| author_sort | Laura Janara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For many years, the lives of animals used for research in Canadian universities have been hidden from public view due both to physical concealment (e.g., security procedures and impenetrable labs) and administrative concealment (non-disclosure of information). Their lives unfold out of sight both physically and discursively, unavailable to the Canadian public for ethical consideration and democratic oversight. Recently, in response to calls by the public to end this secrecy, Canadian universities and the Canadian Council on Animal Care have embraced the language of “transparency” and have begun releasing documentation about animal research practices and procedures. This paper argues that this new “transparency” acts as its own kind of concealment practice, obscuring and displacing meaningful information while constructing highly selective ways of seeing animals in science, and manufacturing acquiescence/consent on the part of the public. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:03:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-34fb35f2eb524bbc97011af9714e5667 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:03:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-34fb35f2eb524bbc97011af9714e56672023-12-22T13:47:16ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-12-011324376010.3390/ani13243760Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and TransparencyLaura Janara0Sue Donaldson1Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaDepartment of Philosophy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaFor many years, the lives of animals used for research in Canadian universities have been hidden from public view due both to physical concealment (e.g., security procedures and impenetrable labs) and administrative concealment (non-disclosure of information). Their lives unfold out of sight both physically and discursively, unavailable to the Canadian public for ethical consideration and democratic oversight. Recently, in response to calls by the public to end this secrecy, Canadian universities and the Canadian Council on Animal Care have embraced the language of “transparency” and have begun releasing documentation about animal research practices and procedures. This paper argues that this new “transparency” acts as its own kind of concealment practice, obscuring and displacing meaningful information while constructing highly selective ways of seeing animals in science, and manufacturing acquiescence/consent on the part of the public.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/24/3760Canadian Council on Animal Caretransparencydemocratic oversightanimal welfare/ethicsanimal experimentation |
| spellingShingle | Laura Janara Sue Donaldson Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency Animals Canadian Council on Animal Care transparency democratic oversight animal welfare/ethics animal experimentation |
| title | Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency |
| title_full | Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency |
| title_fullStr | Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency |
| title_short | Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency |
| title_sort | animal ghosts at canadian universities the politics of concealment and transparency |
| topic | Canadian Council on Animal Care transparency democratic oversight animal welfare/ethics animal experimentation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/24/3760 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurajanara animalghostsatcanadianuniversitiesthepoliticsofconcealmentandtransparency AT suedonaldson animalghostsatcanadianuniversitiesthepoliticsofconcealmentandtransparency |