PowerPoint for talk: https://www.slideshare.net/NickPendergrast/incorporating-a-structural-approach-into-animal-advocacy-by-nick-pendergrast-250411124

Video of the talk will also be available from the International Association for Vegan Sociologists: https://www.vegansociology.com/

Talk recorded at The Promise of Vegan Sociology: Vegan Sociology as a Conduit for Human and Nonhuman Emancipation conference, October 9-10, 2021. Organised by the International Association for Vegan Sociologists: https://www.vegansociology.com/conference/

More about the talk:

Incorporating a Structural Approach into Animal Advocacy
Nick Pendergrast

The animal advocacy movement often focuses on encouraging individuals to make consumer changes on behalf of animals, such as rejecting the consumption of all animal-derived products through veganism. Such advocacy emphasises individual agency and the capacity to reject dominant attitudes and practices towards animals. While such individual changes are important, sociology also draws attention to broader structures that influence society and shape individual choices. This interplay between structure and agency is a central theme in sociology and one that can applied to veganism in a manner that is breaking new ground in sociological literature, as well as providing insight into common tactics used in the animal advocacy movement.
This paper will take a Critical Animal Studies approach, which aims to produce academic work that learns from activists and is also useful to social movements. It will give practical ways that animal advocates can incorporate structural messaging into campaigns promoting individual veganism, as well as suggesting that more effort could be directed towards advocating for a plant-based food system at the systemic level.

Bio:
Nick Pendergrast has a PhD in Sociology and his thesis applied sociological theories on social movements and organisations to the animal advocacy movement in Australia and the United States. He teaches Sociology at the University of Melbourne and has published widely on Critical Animal Studies, human/non-human relations, the media, social movements and social change.

image from animalrebellion.org

Vegan Sociology

Incorporating a Structural Approach into Animal Advocacy by Nick Pendergrast

We caught up with Santa Claus who discusses his campaign against Sarah Palin for Alaska’s only seat in the House of Representatives. For more information on this campaign, see: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/27/sarah-palin-faces-formidable-opponent-in-congress-run-santa-claus

You can see an update on this campaign here: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/31/politics/alaska-house-seat-ranked-choice-ballots/index.html

This interview also featured on episode 282 of Progressive Podcast Australia: https://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2022/10/23/282/

Santa Claus on his campaign against Sarah Palin in Alaska

Nick is joined by his brother, one of the many victims of Centrelink’s new compliance system. This new computer system used by Australia’s welfare/social security system is issuing 20,000 debt notices a week, which is not only affecting vulnerable people, but many of these notices are incorrect in their claim that people under-reported their income while on Centrelink.

If you've received a false debt letter from Centrelink, you're not alone – visit notmydebt.com.au and share your story.

To hear a longer version of this discussion, check out episode 157 of Progressive Podcast Australia: http://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2017/01/12/157/

Image from @teakingw on Twitter.

www.ProgressivePodcastAustralia.com

Not My Debt

This talk was given at the Animal Activists Forum: http://www.activistsforum.com/

You can hear this complete talk (44 minutes), which also included a reflection on Nick's changing animal activism, here: https://archive.org/details/NickPendergrast

You can read some blog posts expanding on the ideas introduced in this talk here: https://faunalytics.org/author/nicholas-pendergrastpostgrad-curtin-edu-au/?sort=recent

You can read Nick's thesis: ‘A sociological examination of the contemporary animal advocacy movement: Organisations, rationality and veganism’ at the following link – it is available for anyone to read, you don’t need a university log-in or anything like that: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2472

Animal Activists Forum

Lessons for Animal Activists from My PhD Thesis by Nick Pendergrast

In this talk, Nick gives 5 lessons for animal activists, based on his PhD thesis on the animal advocacy movement in Australia and the United States.

Lesson 2 is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lesson2

Lesson 4 is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lesson4

You can listen to all 5 lessons here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lessons

If you’d like to read more about the themes covered in this part of the talk, see Chapter 6 of this thesis: ‘A sociological examination of the contemporary animal advocacy movement: Organisations, rationality and veganism’ at the following link – it is available for anyone to read, you don’t need a university log-in or anything like that: hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2472

This talk was given at the Animal Activists Forum: www.activistsforum.com/

Lessons for Animal Activists from My PhD Thesis

Lesson 3: The Conditions are Ripe for Animal Rights Vegan Activism by Nick Pendergrast

In this talk, Nick gives 5 lessons for animal activists, based on his PhD thesis on the animal advocacy movement in Australia and the United States.

Lesson 3 is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lesson3

Lesson 5 is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lesson5

You can listen to all 5 lessons here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lessons

If you’d like to read more about the themes covered in this part of the talk, see Chapter 6 of this thesis: ‘A sociological examination of the contemporary animal advocacy movement: Organisations, rationality and veganism’ at the following link – it is available for anyone to read, you don’t need a university log-in or anything like that: hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2472

This talk was given at the Animal Activists Forum: www.activistsforum.com/

Lesson 4: Limitations in Promoting Veganism for Different Types of Organisations by Nick Pendergrast

In this talk, Nick gives 5 lessons for animal activists, based on his PhD thesis on the animal advocacy movement in Australia and the United States.

Lesson 4 is here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lesson4

You can listen to all 5 lessons here: https://soundcloud.com/user-823571513/lessons

If you’d like to read more about the themes covered in this part of the talk, see Chapter 6 of this thesis: ‘A sociological examination of the contemporary animal advocacy movement: Organisations, rationality and veganism’ at the following link – it is available for anyone to read, you don’t need a university log-in or anything like that: hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2472

This talk was given at the Animal Activists Forum: www.activistsforum.com/

Lesson 5: Intersectional Advocacy Tends to Bring in Less Money by Nick Pendergrast

This is part of Bede Carmody’s talk ‘Sustainable Activism: How to avoid becoming burnt out as an activist’. 

You can hear this whole talk here: https://archive.org/details/BedeCarmody
It also covers what activist burnout is, why it is an important issue to address and signs of activist burnout. 

Bede works full-time for Amnesty International AND also runs A Poultry Place animal sanctuary!

https://www.amnesty.org.au/

https://www.facebook.com/apoultryplace/

For more resources on avoiding activist burnout, see the notes of episode 178 of Progressive Podcast Australia: https://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2017/07/31/178/

The talk was recorded at the 2016 Institute for Critical Animal Studies (Oceania) conference. You can find out more about this conference here: https://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2016/12/14/152/

Tips for Avoiding Activist Burnout by Bede Carmody

You can view the PowerPoint for this talk with links to all of the sources here: https://www.slideshare.net/NickPendergrast/exploring-the-complexities-of-intersectionality-in-practice-by-nick-pendergrast

You can listen to the whole session this talk was taken from, with two other speakers here: https://archive.org/details/IntersectionalityInPractice 

This session is from the 2018 event 'Community As Activism' by the Institute for Critical Animal Studies (Oceania): https://www.facebook.com/events/163203474552122/

Community As Activism

Exploring the Complexities of Intersectionality in Practice by Nick Pendergrast

Kelly, one of the participants in the Vigil for Public Housing, gives an overview of what this action is all about, how it has gone so far, how people can help out and the upcoming Victorian election.

You can watch a video of this interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0yAnjd--t4

This vigil is running continuously, 24 hours a day, on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne (corner Bourke St and Spring St) from midday on the 14th of November until 12am on the 24th of November, the day of the Victorian election. Come by when you can if you’re in Melbourne! More people are required, especially late at night/overnight, but come down whenever you can – whether it is a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days – the more people joining in the stronger the action will be!

For more information, here is the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/484403022044301/

You can also spread the word about the action and find out more about it through #PublicHousingParliamentaryVigil

Kelly is one of the hosts of Roominations – ‘Radio for and by current and former rooming house residents and homeless persons’ which is covering this vigil. You can listen to Roominations here: https://www.3cr.org.au/roominations

You can hear our episode on this vigil here: https://progressivepodcastaustralia.com/2018/11/14/217/

Progressive Podcast Australia

Update on the Public Housing Vigil

Interview by Melanie Tait on ‘Evenings’ – ABC Radio Tasmania: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/

Based on Nick’s article ‘The perils of pet ownership: your dog isn't a 'fur baby', it's your property’: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-18/pet-ownership-your-dog-is-property-not-a-fur-baby/9414096

To see more of Nick’s publications, visit: https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-pendergrast-5089

Melanie Tait: https://twitter.com/MelanieTait

ABC Radio

Dogs - "Fur Babies" or Property? By Nick Pendergrast

PowerPoint for talk here: https://www.slideshare.net/NickPendergrast/who-is-to-blame-for-harm-to-animals-by-nick-pendergrast

Video of the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A7aI6eSH3U&list=PLHEijYgem7IVCZIQOKsk6Ksv8nNh48NR1&index=7&t=0s

Recorded at the Worldly Togetherness? Showcasing sociological contributions to understanding multispecies entanglements conference, 8 August 2020. Organised by The International Association of Vegan Sociologists.

Who is to blame for harm to animals?
By Nick Pendergrast
This presentation will cover what sociological concepts have to offer the debate over who is to blame for harm to animals. The animal advocacy movement is generally focused on individuals’ contribution to animal exploitation through their purchases and focuses a lot on encouraging people to choose veganism to avoid this harm. While I absolutely support this strategy, which emphasises individual agency, I will highlight the way that the sociological concept of social structure encourages us to look beyond the individual and towards larger factors that have significant impacts, including influencing individual choices. In the case of animal exploitation, governments and animal-using industries are particularly important in this regard. 
I will give practical advice on how we can incorporate an acknowledgement of the impact of governments and animal-using industries, and not just individuals, into our advocacy. I will do this by focusing on an analysis of environmental vegan advocacy, which encourages individuals to eat a plant-based diet for environmental reasons. I will discuss the way we can draw on lessons from the messaging of environmental movements in incorporating more structural demands around a plant-based food system into our environmental vegan advocacy, in addition to advocacy that is more focused on individual change.

Bio:
Nick Pendergrast has a PhD in Sociology and his thesis applied sociological theories on social movements and organisations to the animal advocacy movement in Australia and the United States. He taught Sociology and Anthropology at Curtin University from 2008 to 2015 and currently teaches Sociology at the University of Melbourne. He has published widely on Critical Animal Studies, human/non-human relations, the media, social movements and social change.

Progressive Podcast Australia

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