Exploring an underdog cause: What hinders or motivates participatory behavior in animal advocacy
Open Access
- Author:
- Ruben, Rachel Aliza
- Graduate Program:
- Mass Communications
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 20, 2012
- Committee Members:
- Denise Sevick Bortree, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Marie Hardin, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Colleen Connolly Ahern, Committee Member
Michelle E Day, Committee Member - Keywords:
- animal
advocacy
motivation
participation
activism
advertising - Abstract:
- The animal advocacy movement struggles to implement extensive improvements to animal conditions. In order to achieve its goal of increased animal protection, this movement must recruit a greater number of active supporters. This requires a thorough grasp of the activation and continued participatory experiences of existing animal advocates. In this dissertation, I conducted interviews and a focus group with 24 existing animal advocates to learn how they initially became involved; the nature of their perceived challenges with participation; how they surmount these obstacles; how they sustain motivation to act; what may deter them from action; which outreach communication tactics they find most effective/ineffective; and their impressions of the animal advocacy movement, its organizations, its communication strategies, and its terminology. From this data, I learned the factors that motivate initial involvement; the factors that help advocates to sustain their motivation to participate; and that impressions of the animal advocacy movement, its organizations, and its outreach communication can positively or negatively affect participation. Participants especially indicate the importance of focusing on hope and positivity in all contexts of their involvement, the value of social support, and the influence of communications on their experience. This study begins to contribute to the surprising dearth of literature about animal advocacy. To this end, I consider how situational theory of publics can be more directly applied to animal advocacy research. Additionally, I intend for my findings to be applicable for animal advocacy organizations. By understanding the factors that inform the initial action, continued motivation, and related perspectives of existing animal advocates, animal advocacy organizations can increase effectiveness of outreach communication and develop efficient means to engage non-active animal lovers.