A study of conflict between biomedical research and the animal-rights movement
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Authors
Van Keulen, Susan
Issue Date
1991
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Psychology
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study examines the tensions and conflict which exist between scientific institutions engaged in biomedical research using animals and the animal-rights movement.
The study looks, in particular, at the Buck Center for Research in Aging, from its proposal in 198, to its position in the community in 1990.
The study views social reform movements, such as the animalrights movement, in historical perspective. A literature search was utilized to construct a framework with which to understand the complex forces of social change. The literature search presents one view of the development of Western scientific tradition, a history of vivisection, issues surrounding pain and suffering in laboratory animals and the development of philosophical attitudes towards animals. The Buck Center for Research in Aging is then examined within that conceptual framework.
The study found that there were many more issues facing the Buck Center than the animal rights issue, but that all of the conflicts involved concerns over the role of medical science in society and how decisions are made concerning the allocation of resources for health care.
Recommendations were based on the conclusion that there is no ethical or philosophical agreement on the status of animals in society, and that the condition of laboratory animals cannot wait for such agreement: That decisionmakers must move ahead with policies and guidelines to improve the quality of life of laboratory animals here in the United States. The study finds that the Buck Center for Research in Aging has the ability, the resources, and a mandate to fulfill the recommendations presented by the study.