Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

O’Brien, William

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

White, Daniel

Abstract

Management of nonnative invasive species (NIS) frequently involves removing animals or plants from an area in order to conserve native communities. Methods of removing invasive animals include killing individuals, justified as a means of protecting broader ecological values. This management approach, however, is often controversial and highlights differences between discourses of environmental and animal rights. The former values life at a holistic level while the latter emphasizes the value of individual lives. Language both reflects and shapes belief and action, and to assess these divergent views, I compare invasive species rhetoric of a prominent environmental organization with that of an influential animal welfare group. The goal is to identify the most prevalent themes in the different organizations’ characterizations, highlighting areas of convergence and divergence regarding such themes, and, ultimately, to find out if their rhetoric points to any viable suggestions for compromise.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

91 p.

Identifier

FA00003507

Download

Share

COinS