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Press Release: Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Announces its Summer School Programme for 7-10th August 2023

25th May 2023

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics is excited to announce the programme for its 8th annual Summer School, at Merton College, Oxford, 7-10th August, 2023.

This year’s Summer School topic is “Animals and the Media” and will look at a multitude of considerations surrounding communicating ethical perspectives on animals.

The media in all its forms (including, print, broadcast, social, cinematic, literary, and artistic) dominates our lives. The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics’ Summer School will critically examine the role of the media in representing animals both positively and negatively. It will also examine the ways in which the media represents the cause of animals and those individuals and societies who seek to protect them.

The Summer School is ambitious in its programme and aims to cover a significant range of subjects around the topic of the portrayal of animals in the media. Subjects covered, to name but a few, will include:

  • Psychological effects of repeated exposure to digital media depictions of animal cruelty and neglect
  • Humane-washing as the new greenwashing
  • Leveraging animal representation in popular culture to enhance animals’ status in law and policy
  • Communicating with the general public about the morality of animal research
  • Children’s literature as a channel for disseminating concepts of human-animal relations
  • Consent in animal photography
  • An analysis of media representations of nonhuman animals
  • American art as a catalyst for change
  • An overview of the celebration and vilification of cats in the media.

With over 70 talks / workshops over the three days, there is a huge amount on offer and a lot for delegates to delve into.

The line up of speakers is impressive too, including many eminent academics, well balanced with numerous other professional perspectives being offered from the fields of law, journalism, art, politics, animal rescue, publishing, ethics, philosophy, economics, and business.

The speakers come from all across the globe; including the UK and Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Brazil, Israel, Canada and the US, as well as Australia; offering insight into the representation of animals across many different cultures.

Topping the bill on the afternoon of the first day is broadcaster, author, and human rights advocate Peter Tatchell who is also Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation. He will be speaking about “What Animal Advocates can learn from my struggle for Human Rights”. Peter has been campaigning since 1967 on issues of human rights, democracy, civil liberties, LGBTQ+ equality and global justice. Of his many achievements, in 2009, he co-proposed a UN Global Human Rights Index, to measure and rank the human rights record of every country – with the aim of incentivising governments to improve their human rights ranking.

The Summer School can be attended as a residential course or delegates can attend on a daily basis.

Registration for the 2023 Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School is now open.

To book go to: https://www.oxfordanimalethics.com/summer-school/registration/

 
EDITOR’S NOTES:

The full programme is available to view here: https://www.oxfordanimalethics.com/summer-school/programme/

Press places are available. Please let us know what day(s) or session(s) you would like to attend and which publication this is for. Places on the Summer School are limited so we politely ask you only to reserve places if you will definitely be attending.

Dr Clair Linzey and Dr Andrew Linzey are available for interview. If you are interested in speaking to other speakers, please let us know who and we will arrange, in accordance with availability and time zones.

For more information, please contact Sophie Inglis: sophie@panpathic.com / 07815 860 082.

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics is an independent centre pioneering ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching, and publication. The Centre comprises more than 100 academic Fellows worldwide.

Web: www.oxfordanimalethics.com/home 
Instagram: @oxfordanimalethics
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@oxfordanimalethics 
LinkedIn: Dr Clair Linzey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/clair-linzey-ab012272/