A Dis-Ability Perspective on the Stigmatization of Dissent: Critical Pedagogy, Critical Criminology, and Critical Animal Studies
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Syracuse University SURFACE Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Social Science - Dissertations Affairs 12-2011 A Dis-Ability Perspective on the Stigmatization of Dissent: Critical Pedagogy, Critical Criminology, and Critical Animal Studies Anthony John Nocella Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/socsci_etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Nocella, Anthony John, "A Dis-Ability Perspective on the Stigmatization of Dissent: Critical Pedagogy, Critical Criminology, and Critical Animal Studies" (2011). Social Science - Dissertations. 178. https://surface.syr.edu/socsci_etd/178 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Social Science - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT This intersectional and interdisciplinary social science qualitative dissertation in six chapters is grounded in critical research and theory for the purpose of engaged public service. This project is grounded in three formal disciplines: education, criminology, and peace and conflict studies. Within those three disciplines, this project interweaves newly emerging fields of study together, including critical animal studies, eco-ability, disability studies, environmental justice, transformative justice, green criminology, anarchist studies, and critical criminology, This dissertation adopts three qualitative methodologies; autoethnography, case study, and critical pedagogy. My project uses the animal advocacy movement as its case study. Using a critical pedagogy methodology, I explored why and how activists respond to the stigmatization of being labeled as or associated with terrorists, a process I refer to as ―terrorization.‖ Chapter One is an introduction to global ecological conditions and post-September 11, 2001 US political repressive conditions toward environmental and animal advocates. Chapter Two introduces the three methodologies that employed for this research project: autoethnography, case study, and critical pedagogy. Chapter Three argues that stigmatization is a form of repression grounded from personal experiences and examined by means of autoethnography disability studies, and critical criminology. Chapter Four, introduces the case study of this dissertation: critical animal studies, which is influenced by green criminology and anarchist studies. In Chapter Five, through a critical pedagogical methodology, fourteen participants engage in a dialogue on responding to political repression. Finally, in Chapter Six, two new concepts are introduced to interweave all the fields of study and topics in the dissertation together—eco-ability, a theory rooted in disability studies, critical animal studies, and ecology, and transformative justice, a restorative, liberatory, and empowering alternative justice system. A DIS-ABILITY PERSPECTIVE ON THE STIGMATIZATION OF DISSENT: CRITICAL PEDAGOGY, CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY, AND CRITICAL ANIMAL STUDIES By Anthony J. Nocella II BA University of St. Thomas, 2000 MA Fresno Pacific University, 2003 MS Syracuse University, 2008 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science Program in the Graduate School of Syracuse University December 2011 Copyright 2011 Anthony J. Nocella All rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After working on this dissertation for eight years at Syracuse University, I have a great number of people to thank. I would first like to my family who raised me to work hard, believe in myself, and have love for all people. My family might not have agreed with all of my politics, but they loved and respected me and my dedication. I am thankful that they allowed me to engage with nature, nonhuman animals, and embrace my disabilities. I would especially like to thank my dissertation advisor professor Peter Castro who supported me, defended me, pushed me, believed in me, and challenged me to be a critical well-rounded scholar. Next I would like to thank my advisors in no specific order: Piers Beirne, Richard Loder, Micere Githae Mugo, Tucker B. Culbertson, and Kishi Animashaun Ducre for their laughter, love, critical feedback, and unlimited amount of hope in my finishing this project. I have great appreciation for Vernon Greene, the chair of the Social Science Program, who demanded the best from me and encouraged me through all of my obstacles. For her kindness, wonderful advice, and outstanding assistance, I would like to thank Mary Olszewski, the administrator of the Social Science Program. The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) has supported me since day one of coming to Syracuse and has provided me with the tools to engage in the community. I especially thank Catherine Gerard the current Director of PARCC, as well as Lisa Mignaccca, and Debbie Toole. I must thank the former Director of PARCC Robert Rubinstein, who has been an amazing mentor and a wonderful friend. I also must thank the 2003 to 2004 PARC Crew for one of the best years of my life. Thank you to professor Bob Bogdan for believing in me at the beginning v of my journey at Syracuse University. Many thanks to my many students who became my friends at Le Moyne College, SUNY Cortland, and Syracuse University, and who I still greatly love to this day. In my last five years working on my doctorate I spent also most every day at Hillbrook Youth Detention Facility, which I loved every minute of. I would like to thank the kids and adults with the Save the Kids movement. I would like to thank Syracuse Bicycle – the best bike shop. The staff were always caring and welcoming and it was always a blast doing the overnight bike builds. I would like to thank Sarat Colling and Dara Lovitz for helping me greatly in feedback and editing, and Jessica Guyder for transcribing my notes. Many thanks to my fourteen amazing friends and fellow activist-scholars that were willing to dialogue with me for this project – Liat Ben-Moshe, Sarat Colling, Nick Cooney, Lauren Corman, Carol Glasser, Jennifer Grubbs, Stephanie Jenkins, Dara Lovitz, Leslie James Pickering, Michael Loadenthal, Dylan Powell, Craig Rosebraugh, Colin Salter, and Laura Shields. Finally, I would like to thank my friends, in no particular order, who have been there for me – J and Rachel, Mike and Addie, Matt Hidek, Kim Socha, Liat and Deanna, Richard Kahn, Richard White, John Alessio, Julie Andrzejewski, Steve Best, Deric Shannon, Luis Fernandez, Abe DeLeon, Randal Amster, Peter McLaren, Morgan, Matt, Ashley and Nicolette, Chinnu Antony and Chelsea Singer and everyone else with M.A.D., Ernesto Aguilar, David Nibert, Toby Miller, William Armaline, Will Potter, Peter Young, Nioshi Shah, Priya Parmar, David Stovall, David Gabbard, Richard Twine, John Sorenson, Melanie Joy, Connie Russell, Ward Churchill, Robert Jensen, Rik Scarce, John Feldman, Jason Del Gandio, Shannon Keith, Lisa Kemmerer, Jennifer Pelton, Henry Giroux, Samuel Fassbinder, Mecke Nagel, Noelle Paley, Kate Coffey, Judy Bentley, Janet Duncan, vi Joseph Rayle, Andrew Fitz-Gibbon, Ashley Mosgrove, Michael Parenti, Allison Stokes, Caroline Tauxe, Caroline Kaltefleiter, Rich Van Heertum, Benjamin Frymer, Tony Kashani, Kevin Pieluszczak, Colman McCarthy, Bruce Friedrich, Lara Drew, and everyone with ICAS, the Central New York Peace Studies Consortium, American Friends Service Committee, Houston Live Oak Quaker Meeting, and Syracuse Quaker Meeting. vii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to those who have been stigmatized, repressed, and silenced because of their political, social, or spiritual beliefs and for people who were identified as not ―normal.‖ This dissertation is also dedicated to the life of my dear friend Kevin Pieluszczak who passed away on Monday Morning October 3, 2011, four days before my defense, which he wish he was able to attend. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction: The State of Nature and the Nature of the State Overview of the Dissertation 1 Overview of Chapter One 2 State of Nature 2 Nature of the State 11 Animal Advocacy 17 Outline of Dissertation 18 CHAPTER TWO 24 Methodologies: Autoethnography, Case Study, and Critical Pedagogy Introduction 24 Autoethnography 25 Poetry as Autoethnography 29 Limitations 31 Case Study 32 Critical Pedagogy 33 Limitations 36 Foundational Questions 37 CHAPTER THREE 40 Autoethnography and Theory: From Disability Studies to Critical Criminology Introduction 40 Personal Standpoint Statement 41 Poetic Personal Statement: Who am i? 42 ix From Personal to Political 45 The Stigmatization of Disability 47 Need for Responding to Political Repression 61 A Critical Criminological Perspective 62 Defining Social Control 64 Defining Political Repression 69 Overview of U.S. Political Repression 72 Strategy of Political Repression 74 Defining Terrorization 76 Guilt by Association 78 Responding to Political Repression 79 Conclusion 85 CHAPTER FOUR 88 Case Study: Critical Animal Studies Introduction 88 Animal Liberation Front 88 The Rise of ―Eco-Terrorists‖ 90 Animal Liberation Front‘s Critique of Capitalism 95 Critical Animal Studies 98 Anarchist Studies 107 Green Criminology 120 Eco-Deviance - Division of Nature by Humans 122 Eco-Control - Domination of Nature by Humans 123 Eco-Terrorism - Destruction of Nature by Humans 123 x Conclusion 126 CHAPTER FIVE 129 Critical Pedagogy: Reflections