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Why are nonhuman animals victims of harm?
In this free course, Why are nonhuman animals victims of harm? you will investigate why nonhuman animals tend to be overlooked as victims of violence. The course explores some of the social processes and structures that victimise other animals, such as ‘livestock’ farming. The course also highlights some of the environmental harms related to ‘livestock’ farming. You will learn about how harms are perpetuated by language and imagery, as well as how language and imagery can be used to oppose and resist harms against nonhuman animals.
This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course DD311 Crime, harm and the state
Content warning
Study in the social sciences – and criminology in particular – inevitably touches on sensitive and emotive topics that may be difficult and upsetting. This course explores harms against nonhuman animals that you may find difficult to work with, including images of nonhuman animals in confinement.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- understand the role of language and imagery in shaping recognition of other animals as victims of harm
- understand a range of direct and indirect harms that are inflicted on nonhuman animals, especially through 'livestock' farming
- understand how harms against other animals are both legitimised and contested through language and imagery
- understand the concept of the Animal-Industrial Complex.
First Published: 11/11/2020
Updated: 11/11/2020
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I consider myself relatively well read on animal rights, but I've never been exposed to the subject in an academic setting, and this course opened my eyes to a lot of new-to-me concepts (including green criminology and some linguistic and philosophical approaches to the subject). It explores just how massively intertwined the systems that perpetuate animal harm really are and exposes carnism with well-researched statistics, quotes from numerous sources, and critical analysis. I walk away from this course with a greater understanding of the structures that harm non-human animals and a sense that I will now more eloquently be able to share information on it.