Intersectionality, Radicalism, Identity, And
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Brock University Digital Repository INTERSECTIONALITY, RADICALISM, IDENTITY, AND COMMUNITY: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY OF ANIMAL ACTIVIST ORGANIZING IN CANADA Mehmet Emin Boyacıoğlu Critical Sociology Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Faculty of Graduate Studies, Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario © 2017 Abstract This thesis is an ethnographic case study of an animal activist organization (ACT) through an intersectional feminist theoretical lens. Qualitative data regarding ACT’s demographic constitution, internal organizational dynamics, activist strategies, ethical and political principles, and relations to other animal activists in the region have been collected through participant observations, in-depth interviews with activists, and a content analysis of social media. Data gathered and analyzed through the Grounded Theory methodology demonstrate that, despite its progressive politics in terms of gender, racialization, and class, ACT reproduced some oppressive dynamics of these, such as a normative, gendered division of labour. Contrary to ACT’s principle of non- hierarchy, a co-founder became its leader due to his possession of traits valued in activist circles dominated by a white, middle-class, and masculine culture; and his politics informed by a particular radical activist subculture was adopted by ACT. Many were not allowed to join ACT for not embodying the expected activist criteria, which were exclusionary in the sense of being formulated through a white, middle- class culture. Ideological and tactical disagreements between ACT and other activists led to aggressive conflicts because of some ACT organizers’ intolerance to any aberration from the rigid understanding of ethics they upheld. As individual and organizational identities outweighed solidarity in this activist setting, the erosion of trust further severed the community. Many activists who endorse ACT’s principles of intersectionality, anti-oppression, and community-building attribute their disbandment to the failure of applying these in activist praxis, and envision a better future for animal advocacy through a flatter organizing, healthier communication, a less rigid understanding of ethics, and more respect and consideration afforded to the people in and out of the activist community. ii Acknowledgements Although it carries my name as the sole author, this thesis could not have been written without the enormous support I received from my family, friends, coworkers, and professors. I thank everyone whose friendly assistance aided me in adapting to my new academic and social surroundings after arriving in Canada, including Gökbörü Sarp Tanyıldız, Ebru Üstündağ, Julia Gottli, and Jane Helleiner. Since our initial email correspondence before my admission to Brock University, John Sorenson and Lauren Corman consistently encouraged and inspired me towards developing myself as a student and a scholar. June Corman’s commitment to help students reflected on my work since texts relevant to students’ research interests were incorporated into her syllabus. Nancy Cook is another professor who went above and beyond her role to support me. I am indebted to all for their contributions to my thinking which cannot be adequately expressed with words. I cannot thank my friends Kate MacDonald, Ezgi Sarıoğlu, Stephanie Piovesan, Kim Radersma, Jill DiTillo, and Janine Hall enough for helping me feel at home in Canada with their emotional support, especially through the darkest times. I was lucky that my cousin Melih Barsbey has always been present when I needed him, despite our physical distance. Finally, I cannot picture how my life would have looked like without the supportive parenting of my mother, Bilge. Being her son is a privilege. Although various hesitations kept me from naming them here, many more people deeply influenced not only how I think but also who I am. The best ideas in this thesis might have developed through these relations. All the flaws are, of course, my responsibility. iii Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv Chapter One: Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Research process ........................................................................................................ 3 Contributions to the academic literature on animal advocacy ................................... 8 Overview of research findings ................................................................................. 10 Overview of chapters ............................................................................................... 12 Chapter Two: Intersectionality, Animals, and Activism ........................................ 15 Animal activism in the Global North ....................................................................... 15 Demographic constitution of animal activists ...................................................... 17 Internal dynamics of animal activist organizing .................................................. 25 Animal activist strategies in the Global North ..................................................... 32 Section summary and proposed contributions to the literature ............................ 49 Feminist intersectional theory .................................................................................. 50 Species and the Rest: Intersections of Oppressions ................................................. 55 Chapter Three: Research Design ............................................................................. 67 Organizational ethnography and Grounded Theory ................................................. 68 Research ethics ......................................................................................................... 71 Methods of data collection ....................................................................................... 73 Textual data .......................................................................................................... 73 Participant observations........................................................................................ 75 In-depth interviews ............................................................................................... 78 Data analysis ............................................................................................................ 82 Research background, researcher reflexivity, and limitations ................................. 83 Reporting findings and analysis ............................................................................... 85 iv Chapter Four: The Activist(s) ................................................................................... 87 Activist opposition to The Business ......................................................................... 88 Participant profile ..................................................................................................... 89 ACT ........................................................................................................................ 100 Critiques ................................................................................................................. 106 Radicalism and aggression ................................................................................. 107 Disparities between politics and activist practice ............................................... 114 “One-man”: leadership and hierarchy ................................................................ 121 The perfect activist(s) ......................................................................................... 128 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 134 Chapter Five: Communication (or the lack thereof) ............................................ 136 Silence .................................................................................................................... 139 (Personal) conflicts and aggression ........................................................................ 147 An exclusionary radical activist subculture of purity ............................................. 152 Control and trust: “Guilty by association” ............................................................. 165 Heroic, individualistic masculinity ........................................................................ 170 Identity before solidarity ........................................................................................ 173 Activist self-harm ................................................................................................... 175 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 178 Chapter Six: Our Past, Present, and Future ......................................................... 180 Research background ............................................................................................. 180 Summary of findings .............................................................................................