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Social Creatures wins University Award

12th May 2009

Fellow of the Centre, and Professor of Sociology at the University of South Carolina Upstate, Dr Clifton P. Flynn has won his University’s Annual Award for Scholarly and Creative Pursuits for his research in Human-Animal Studies. This is an award for excellence in research, and specifically for his outstanding work on animal-human relationships during 2006-2008, which includes his pioneering anthology Social Creatures: A Human and Animal Studies Reader published by Lantern Press in 2008; his contribution “Women-Battering, Pet Abuse, and Human-Animal Relationships” to the forthcoming volume (based on the Centre’s Oxford conference in 2007) The Link Between Animal Abuse and Human Violence which is to be published by Sussex Academic Press in July 2009, and other journal articles.

The award was presented at the University’s commencement ceremony last week. Professor Flynn is the first person to receive the award twice, having also won in 2002. Commenting on the award, Professor Flynn said: “This is a terrific honour, and a practical sign that research in Human-Animal Studies is at last being recognized as it should”. He continued: “Social Creatures has been well-received and there are already signs that it is being adopted by courses in the Social Sciences.” The Centre extends its warm congratulations to Professor Flynn on his achievement.