Once You Know Something, You Can’t Not Know It”:
An Empirical Look at Becoming Vegan

Barbara McDonald
USDA Forest Service

In spite of a growing body of vegetarian literature, there remains a lack of information about how people learn to become vegan. Using qualitative methodology, this research identified a psychological process of how people learn about and adopt veganism. Elements of the process include who I was, catalytic experiences, possible repression of information, an orientation to learn, the decision, learning about veganism, and acquiring a vegan world view. Noteworthy observations include individual and temporal variation in the use of logic and emotion, the centrality of reading, the repression and recollection of undesirable information, and the importance of two types of learning tasks to successful vegans.
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Managing the Stigma of Outlaw Breeds: A Case Study of Pit Bull Owners
Hillary Twining, Arnold Arluke, and Gary Patronek
Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy

Ethnographic interviews were conducted with 28 pit bull “owners” to explore the sociological experience of having a dog with a negative image. Results indicate that the vast majority of respondents felt that these dogs were stigmatized because of their breed. Respondents made this conclusion because friends, family, and strangers were apprehensive in the presence of their dogs and because they made accusations about the breed’s viciousness and lack of predictability. In the face of this stigma, respondents resorted to using a variety of interactional strategies to lessen the impact of this perception or prevent it from occurring. These strategies included passing their dogs as breeds other than pit bulls, denying that their behavior is biologically determined, debunking adverse media coverage, using humor, emphasizing counter_stereotypical behavior, avoiding stereotypical equipment or accessories, taking preventive measures, or becoming breed ambassadors

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Fetal Pig: The High School Dissection Experience
Gracia Barr
Harold Herzog
Western Carolina University

Using qualitative methods, we observed a series of fetal pig dissection sessions in a high school biology course and interviewed 17 students in the class. The students’ responses to dissection varied considerably. Most ~thought that dissection was a positive experience, but a substantial minority viewed it primarily in negative terms. Almost all~the students had some ambivalence about aspects of the fetal pig lab and believed that alternatives should be provided for students who object to the practice. We argue that dissection remains a viable educational tool but should be an optional rather than compulsory component of the curriculum.
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English Almanacs and Animal Health Care in the Seventeenth Century
Louise Hill Curth
University of London

In seventeenth_century England, the health and welfare of nonhuman animals rested almost solely on the shoulders of their keepers. Veterinary institutions had not yet been founded, and academically trained animal doctors did not exist. Laymen, however, had access to a great deal of information on animal health care. A range of printed publications were available that offered medical advice. The most accessible and easily understood were the ubiquitous almanacs. This article will examine the type of medical guidance offered in these cheap, annually_produced reference books. The major focus was on preventative practices because it was recognized that it was far easier to maintain a state of health than to cure illnesses.When such efforts failed, readers could also obtain recipes for remedies and treatments in almanacs.
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Book Reviews
The Art of Moral Protest: Culture, Biography and Creativity in Social Movements by James M. Jasper Corwin R. Kruse

Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse: Linking the Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention by Frank Ascione and Phil Arkow (Eds.)
Geertrui Cazaux

Understanding Dogs: Living and Working with Canine Companions by Clinton R. Sanders
Jennifer Wolch
 

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