Reservoir Dogs

Abstract

Sociologists have been slow to turn their attention to ‘blood sports’ involving animals or activities where animals suffer neglect and abuse. Although there seems to be a heightened sense of public contempt in many countries toward the outwardly cruel treatment of animals such as dogs, and toward the place of animals in ‘sport’ per se, the ways in which racing greyhounds may be enmeshed in wider formations of sports-related abuse and violence continues to be ignored. In this article, data gathered on greyhound abuse in the North American racing figuration are examined in the process of understanding the social chains of interdependence necessary to perpetuate ‘tolerable’ deviance against the dogs. Using central tenets of figurational sociology, patterns of neglect and abuse are discussed and conceptual typologies of the main ‘players’ in the greyhound figuration are outlined.

Trust in Interspecies Sport

“…Academic contributions in this broad area of study have included research on animals in sport (Sheard, 1999;Gillespie, Leffler & Lerner, 2002;Gilbert & Gillett, 2012;), the impact of animals on human health (Garrity & Stallones, 1998;Wells, 2009), therapeutic uses of animals (Burgon, 2003;Kaiser, Smith, Heleski and Spence, 2006;Yorke, Adams & Coady, 2008;Dell, Chalmers, Bresette, Swain & Rankin, 2011), animal ethics and violence toward animals (Worden & Darden, 1992;Atkinson & Young, 2005), and human-animal relationships (Robins, Sanders & Cahill, 1991;Lagoni, Butler & Hetts, 1994;Brandt, 2004;Sanders, 2007;Jerolmack, 2008;Herzog, 2011). Two areas of research within the study of interspecies relationships are important to this paper-studies of equestrian sport and post-Mead studies of animals.…”

Animal Blood Sport: A Ritual Display of Masculinity and Sexual Virility

“…While humans have been engaged in animal blood sport for thousands of years, generating untold numbers of scholarly analyses of hunting, baiting and animal fighting (Kalof, 2007), it is rare for sociologists to examine animal blood sport as a form of human driven sport related violence that involves the abuse and suffering of other animals. The notable exceptions are Atkinson & Young (2005, 2008 and Young (2012). Atkinson & Young (2005) examined greyhound racing as blood sport because of the violence and suffering involved in the breeding, training, housing and disposal of the greyhound dogs.…”

“…The notable exceptions are Atkinson & Young (2005, 2008 and Young (2012). Atkinson & Young (2005) examined greyhound racing as blood sport because of the violence and suffering involved in the breeding, training, housing and disposal of the greyhound dogs. They emphasized the placement of greyhound racing along a continuum of harmful and abusive animal sports that, while distinct from animal baiting and fighting activities, still "systematically produces abuse, neglect and harm in its animal participants" (Atkinson & Young, 2005, 337) and should be considered a social justice issue (Atkinson & Young, 2008).…”

“…After a brief review of hunting, bullfighting, and cockfighting as displays that validate masculinity and heterosexual virility, I provide an expanded focus on dogfighting as a ritual of macho sexuality infused with aggression and menacing violence. I conclude with a discussion of animal blood sports as part of a wider formation of abuse and violence toward animals (Atkinson & Young, 2005) that is perpetuated by the popular culture.…”

“…I examine the third category of male sport noted above, animal blood sport, with a focus on its connection to rituals that validate masculinity and heterosexuality. I begin with a review of the literature on the sociology of sport that calls for more research on animal blood sport as a form of sports related violence (Atkinson & Young, 2005;Young, 2012). I then provide a theoretical overview of the links between masculinity and sex.…”