The influence of social movements on policy change: delayed success in banning dog slaughter in Germany

Sebastian, Marcel

doi:10.1080/14742837.2021.1967126

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…This decision was based on a statement from the German Federal Health Office confirming this risk. Members of the committee had contacted the Office with a request to help resolve the issue, and the statement can be understood as a "complacency report," drawn up on the committee's instructions (Sebastian 2021). A similar argument for other animals must be regarded as unpromising (and thus, less dangerous for policymakers), as in the case of the production of dog meat there is little basis for assuming that substantial health risks actually existed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result of this cultural change, relevant animal protection organizations and most of the German population publicly demanded that killing dogs for consumption be prohibited and exerted strong pressure on the German federal government and responsible ministries through petitions and protest letters (Sebastian 2021). This campaign echoed within the population, especially as it was supported by the new Bild newspaper.…”

Section: Cultural Change and The Pressure To Ban The Slaughter Of Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the contrary, even the Bavarian Cattle Dealers Association and two slaughterhouse managers expressed their support publicly. The main reason could be that there was never a clear economic interest in the production of dog meat (Sebastian 2021).…”

Section: Cultural Change and The Pressure To Ban The Slaughter Of Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…35 This position was also publicly expressed by State Secretary Dr. Sonnemann during the Q&A session of the Bundestag on April 29, 1954, 36 and it was repeated in a meeting of the Bundestag Committee for Food, Agriculture and Forestry. 37 Due to enormous pressure by the animal protection movement, and despite strong reservations, the German federal government introduced a bill in 1959 (Sebastian 2021). The Deutscher Städtebund (German Association of Cities) then contacted the Legal Committee of the Bundestag, which was responsible for issuing a statement, and argued that such a ban was not advisable "if the slaughter of other animals and the utilization of their meat for human consumption must remain permissible at the same time."…”

Section: The Interaction Between Cultural and Institutional Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This classification is not static, because the system of cultural categories, as well as the allocation of animal species within this cultural classification system, can change. Options for change include the re-categorization of a specific animal species within the categorical system from a less protected category to a more protected one, for instance, from the category of "livestock animals" to the category of "pets" (Sebastian 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Institutional persistence despite cultural change: a historical case study of the re-categorization of dogs in Germany

Pfau‐Effinger¹,

Sebastian²

2021

Agric Hum Values

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Human–animal relations in post-industrial societies are characterized by a system of cultural categories that distinguishes between different types of animals based on their function in human society, such as “farm animals” or “pets.” The system of cultural categories, and the allocation of animal species within this cultural classification system can change. Options for change include re-categorizing a specific animal species within the categorical system. The paper argues that attempts by political actors to adapt the institutional system to cultural change that calls for re-categorization of certain animal species can start a contradictory process that may lead to long-term survival of the respective institution despite the cultural change. It is common to explain the persistence of political institutions with institutional path dependency or policy preferences of the governing parties. This paper introduces a new institutional theoretical approach to the explanation, the approach of “rejecting changing a part for fear of undermining the whole.” This paper uses a case study of a series of failed political efforts to change the treatment of dogs in the framework of the agricultural human–animal policy in the Federal Republic of Germany in the second half of the twentieth century, to evaluate its theoretical argument, using analyses of historical political documents, mass media, and communication documents between civil society actors and policymakers. This paper makes an innovative contribution to the theory and research on institutional change, the sociology of agriculture and food, and the sociology of human–animal relations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cultural Change and The Pressure To Ban The Slaughter Of Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cultural Change and The Pressure To Ban The Slaughter Of Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Interaction Between Cultural and Institutional Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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