Giraud, E and Hollin, G (2016) Care, laboratory beagles and affective utopia. Theory, Culture and Society, 33 (4). pp. 27-49. ISSN 0263-2764
Abstract
A caring approach to knowledge production has been portrayed as epistemologically radical, ethically vital and as fostering continuous responsibility between researchers and research-subjects. This article examines these arguments through focusing on the ambivalent role of care within the first large-scale experimental beagle colony, a self-professed ‘beagle utopia’ at the University of California, Davis, (1951-1986). We argue that care was at the core of the beagle colony; the lived environment was re-shaped in response to animals ‘speaking back’ to researchers, and ‘love’ and ‘kindness’ were important considerations during staff recruitment. Ultimately, however, we show that care-relations were used to manufacture compliancy, preventing the predetermined ends of the experiment from being troubled. Rather than suggesting Davis would have been less ethically troubling, or more epistemologically radical, with ‘better’ care, however, we suggest the case troubles existing care theory and argue that greater attention needs to be paid to histories, contexts, and exclusions.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2016. Published by SAGE. This is an author produced version of a paper accepted for publication in Theory, Culture and Society. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Affect; animals; care; dogs; embodied communication; ethics; laboratory science |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Sociology and Social Policy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Jan 2016 13:36 |
Last Modified: | 22 Jan 2017 10:16 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0263276415619685 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0263276415619685 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:93677 |