MAC 2012 - Minding Animals Conference 2012

The Minding Animals Conference 2012 offers a platform to discuss scientific, ethical and social issues related to animals and human interactions with animals. The aim of the conference is to bring together academics and scientists from different disciplines (amongst others: animal welfare, (cognitive) ethology, animal ethics and philosophy, and sociology).
We are glad to have received an impressive number of abstracts before the deadline of 15 January. However, we have received many requests to submit an abstract after this deadline, and we would like to particularly encourage the submission of abstracts on the topics below, especially in the themes of 2. Animal Welfare and 3. Animal Capacities. We have therefore decided to extend the deadline for abstract submission to February 15. To submit an abstract, please visit www.uu.nl/hum/mindinganimals.
We particularly welcome abstracts on the following topics:
1. The Human-Animal Relationship
1a. The animal in art, literature and film.
1b. Animals in a human society
1c. The influence of animals on physical and mental health of humans
1d. Sharing hybrid communities
1e. Communication on animal issues
1f. Educating animal welfare issues
2. Animal Capacities
2a. Positive emotions in animals
2b. Higher order cognitive capacities in animals
2c. Capacities and moral status of non-mammalian animals
3. Animal Welfare
3a. Measuring welfare
3b. Concepts of animal welfare
3c. The end of life/ killing animals
3d. Genetic welfare problems in companion animals
3e. Domestication and animal welfare
4. Animal Ethics
4a. The moral relevance of socio-cognitive abilities in animals
4b. Animals and the harm of death
4c. Moral concerns beyond animal welfare: changing what animals are
4d. New developments in animal ethics
4e. Ethics and law
5. Animals and Sustainability
5a. Farm animal welfare in sustainability: re-balancing people, planet and profit?
5b. Animal resilience
5c. Animal movements and migrations
5d. Sustainability aspects of the human-animal interaction beyond the animal
6. Animals and Public Policy
6a. Political philosophy and the representation of animals in politics
6b. Context-dependency of duties of care to animals?
6c. The relevance of stakeholder-relations and stakeholder involvement for the development of measures to safeguard animal welfare
6d. Animal welfare ? the veterinarian’s role