Professor PRU HOBSON-WEST's Outputs (39)

Risk, emotion and responsibility: an analysis of the storylines used by vaccine hesitant mothers (2024)
Journal Article
Lermytte, E., Paredis, M., Hobson-West, P., Bracke, P., & Ceuterick, M. (2024). Risk, emotion and responsibility: an analysis of the storylines used by vaccine hesitant mothers. Health, Risk and Society, 26(7-8), 368-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2024.2410150

Under processes of responsibilisation and individualisation in the ‘risk society’, as well as discourses of intensive motherhood, mothers are expected to make ‘good’ decisions regarding their children’s health. Consequently, decision-making concernin... Read More about Risk, emotion and responsibility: an analysis of the storylines used by vaccine hesitant mothers.

Between animal research and animal welfare: Analysing the openness practices of UK Named Veterinary Surgeons (2024)
Journal Article
McGlacken, R., & Hobson-West, P. (2024). Between animal research and animal welfare: Analysing the openness practices of UK Named Veterinary Surgeons. Animal Welfare Journal, 33, Article e36. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2024.42

The use of animals as scientific models is argued to be crucial for producing new scientific and medical knowledge and clinical treatments. However, animal research continues to raise socio-ethical concerns. In recent years, there has been a push for... Read More about Between animal research and animal welfare: Analysing the openness practices of UK Named Veterinary Surgeons.

Who cares about lab rodents? (2024)
Journal Article
Davies, G., Kirk, R. G., Greenhough, B., Hobson-West, P., Myelnikov, D., & Roe, E. (2024). Who cares about lab rodents?. Science, 385(6715), 1270-1273. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr6151

Rodents are widely seen as a commensal pest species and an unwelcome addition to human society. Consequently, caring about mice and rats—relative to more charismatic species, such as cats or dogs—is less commonly a focus of public concern. Yet, in di... Read More about Who cares about lab rodents?.

Agency in urgency and uncertainty. Vaccines and vaccination in European media discourses (2024)
Journal Article
Wagner, A., Polak, P., Rudek, T. J., Świątkiewicz-Mośny, M., Anderson, A., Bockstal, M., Gariglio, L., Hasmanová Marhánková, J., Hilário, A. P., Hobson-West, P., Iorio, J., Kuusipalo, A., Numerato, D., Scavarda, A., Alcântara da Silva, P., Soares Moura, E., & Vuolanto, P. (2024). Agency in urgency and uncertainty. Vaccines and vaccination in European media discourses. Social Science and Medicine, 346, Article 116725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116725

Although Covid-19 was not the first pandemic, it was unique in the scale and intensity with which societies responded. Countries reacted differently to the threat posed by the new virus. The public health crisis affected European so... Read More about Agency in urgency and uncertainty. Vaccines and vaccination in European media discourses.

Trust matters: The Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe Study (2024)
Journal Article
Vuolanto, P., Nunes Almeida, A., Anderson, A., Auvinen, P., Beja, A., Bracke, P., Cardano, M., Ceuterick, M., Correia, T., De Vito, E., Delaruelle, K., Delicado, A., Esposito, M., Ferrara, M., Gariglio, L., Guerreiro, C., Hasmanová Marhánková, J., Hilario, A. P., Hobson-West, P., Iorio, J., …Wagner, A. (2024). Trust matters: The Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe Study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 52(3), 379-390. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948231223791

This article presents the design of a seven-country study focusing on childhood vaccines, Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe (VAX-TRUST), developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study consists of (a) situation analysis of vaccine hesitancy (e... Read More about Trust matters: The Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe Study.

Researching childhood vaccine hesitancy in the wake of COVID-19 (2024)
Journal Article
Anderson, A., Douglass, T., & Hobson-West, P. (2024). Researching childhood vaccine hesitancy in the wake of COVID-19. Vaccine: X, 16, Article 100450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100450

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a seismic effect on public healthcare, vaccine production, and on society. However, the pandemic has also had a methodological impact on social researchers, including those seeking to better understand vaccine hesitancy... Read More about Researching childhood vaccine hesitancy in the wake of COVID-19.

(Dis)placing veterinary medicine: Veterinary borderlands in laboratory animal research (2024)
Book Chapter
Anderson, A., & Hobson-West, P. (2024). (Dis)placing veterinary medicine: Veterinary borderlands in laboratory animal research. In Researching animal research : What the humanities and social sciences can contribute to laboratory animal science and welfare (223-246). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526165770.00018

The veterinary profession is complex and heterogeneous, embedded in a variety of social contexts. One such context is the animal research laboratory where, in the UK, Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVSs) have key legislative responsibilities for animal c... Read More about (Dis)placing veterinary medicine: Veterinary borderlands in laboratory animal research.

Researching animal research: What the humanities and social sciences can contribute to laboratory animal science and welfare (2024)
Book
Davies, G., Greenhough, B., Hobson-West, P., Kirk, R. G., & Palmer, A. (Eds.). (2024). Researching animal research: What the humanities and social sciences can contribute to laboratory animal science and welfare. Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526165770

Every year around 80 million scientific procedures are carried out on animals globally. These experiments have the potential to generate new understandings of biology and clinical treatments. They also give rise to ongoing societal debate.

This bo... Read More about Researching animal research: What the humanities and social sciences can contribute to laboratory animal science and welfare.

Recruiting a hard-to-reach, hidden and vulnerable population: the methodological and practical pitfalls of researching vaccine-hesitant parents (2023)
Journal Article
Hilário, A., Scavarda, A., Numerato, D., Mendonça, J., Cardano, M., Marhankova, J., Gariglio, L., Vuolanto, P., Anderson, A., Auvinen, P., Bracke, P., Douglass, T., Hobson-West, P., Lermytte, E., Polak, P., & Rudek, T. (2023). Recruiting a hard-to-reach, hidden and vulnerable population: the methodological and practical pitfalls of researching vaccine-hesitant parents. Qualitative Health Research, 33(13), 1189-1202. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231196439

While recruitment is an essential aspect of any research project, its challenges are rarely acknowledged. We intend to address this gap by discussing the challenges to the participation of vaccine-hesitant parents defined here as a hard-to-reach, hid... Read More about Recruiting a hard-to-reach, hidden and vulnerable population: the methodological and practical pitfalls of researching vaccine-hesitant parents.

What Do Scientists Mean When They Talk About Research Animals "Volunteering"? (2023)
Journal Article
Palmer, A., Greenhough, B., Hobson-West, P., Davies, G., & Message, R. (2024). What Do Scientists Mean When They Talk About Research Animals "Volunteering"?. Society and Animals, 32(7-8), 744-765. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10139

This paper examines discourses around "volunteering"in animal research. Through a qualitative textual analysis of the scientific literature using animals in behavioral and psychological research, we demonstrate that "voluntary"and related terms are u... Read More about What Do Scientists Mean When They Talk About Research Animals "Volunteering"?.

Two Worlds in One: What ‘Counts’ as Animal Advocacy for Veterinarians Working in UK Animal Research? (2023)
Journal Article
McGlacken, R., Anderson, A., & Hobson-West, P. (2023). Two Worlds in One: What ‘Counts’ as Animal Advocacy for Veterinarians Working in UK Animal Research?. Animals, 13(5), Article 776. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050776

The concept of advocacy is of increasing importance to the veterinary profession internationally. However, there are concerns around the ambiguity and complexity of acting as an advocate in practice. This paper explores what ‘animal advocacy’ involve... Read More about Two Worlds in One: What ‘Counts’ as Animal Advocacy for Veterinarians Working in UK Animal Research?.

Animal research, ethical boundary-work, and the geographies of veterinary expertise (2022)
Journal Article
Anderson, A., & Hobson-West, P. (2023). Animal research, ethical boundary-work, and the geographies of veterinary expertise. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 48(3), 491-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12594

The veterinary profession has been relatively understudied in social science, though recent work has highlighted the geographic dimensions of veterinary expertise. This paper draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with Named Veterinary Surgeons (NV... Read More about Animal research, ethical boundary-work, and the geographies of veterinary expertise.

Vets and Vaccines: A Discursive Analysis of Pet Vaccine Critique (2022)
Journal Article
Hobson-West, P. (2022). Vets and Vaccines: A Discursive Analysis of Pet Vaccine Critique. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, Article 868933. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.868933

Critique of vaccination policy and practice has a long history, and social scientists and others have devoted significant efforts to understanding this phenomenon. This attention has only increased in light of the coronavirus pandemic, with public... Read More about Vets and Vaccines: A Discursive Analysis of Pet Vaccine Critique.

Critiquing imaginaries of ‘the public’ in UK dialogue around animal research: Insights from the Mass Observation Project (2022)
Journal Article
McGlacken, R., & Hobson-West, P. (2022). Critiquing imaginaries of ‘the public’ in UK dialogue around animal research: Insights from the Mass Observation Project. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 91, 280-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2021.12.009

With an established history of controversy in the UK, the use of animals in science continues to generate significant socio-ethical discussion. Here, the figure of ‘the public’ plays a key role. However, dominant imaginaries of ‘the public’ have sign... Read More about Critiquing imaginaries of ‘the public’ in UK dialogue around animal research: Insights from the Mass Observation Project.

Assessment of health and welfare in a small sample of dogs owned by people who are homeless (2021)
Journal Article
Scanlon, L., Hobson‐West, P., Cobb, K., McBride, A., & Stavisky, J. (2022). Assessment of health and welfare in a small sample of dogs owned by people who are homeless. Veterinary Record, 190(12), Article e776. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.776

Background: Pet ownership is common among homeless people, with dogs the most frequently reported pets. However, homeless people receive considerable criticism for keeping pets due to public perception of poor care provision. Materials and methods: A... Read More about Assessment of health and welfare in a small sample of dogs owned by people who are homeless.

“Refugees from practice”? Exploring why some vets move from the clinic to the laboratory (2021)
Journal Article
Anderson, A., & Hobson-West, P. (2022). “Refugees from practice”? Exploring why some vets move from the clinic to the laboratory. Veterinary Record, 190(1), Article e773. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.773

Background: Named veterinary surgeons (NVSs) are a mandated presence in licensed animal research establishments in the UK. Some NVSs come into their laboratory roles having left general veterinary practice, which is currently facing significant recru... Read More about “Refugees from practice”? Exploring why some vets move from the clinic to the laboratory.

Telling their own stories: Encouraging veterinary students to ethically reflect (2021)
Journal Article
Hobson-West, P., & Millar, K. (2021). Telling their own stories: Encouraging veterinary students to ethically reflect. Veterinary Record, 188(10), Article e17. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.17

Background: Veterinary practice raises complex and unique professional ethical dilemmas. There is increasing discussion of how best to deliver ethics education to veterinary students, so that they are fully prepared to address ethical conflicts in pr... Read More about Telling their own stories: Encouraging veterinary students to ethically reflect.

Homeless people and their dogs: Exploring the nature and impact of the human-companion animal bond (2021)
Journal Article
Scanlon, L., Hobson-West, P., Cobb, K., McBride, A., & Stavisky, J. (2021). Homeless people and their dogs: Exploring the nature and impact of the human-companion animal bond. Anthrozoös, 34(1), 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2021.1878683

Homelessness is a pervasive social issue worldwide. In the UK, it is currently estimated that one in two hundred people are homeless, approximating 0.5% of the population. Pet ownership among this group is thought to be commonplace and has been linke... Read More about Homeless people and their dogs: Exploring the nature and impact of the human-companion animal bond.

Priorities for social science and humanities research on the challenges of moving beyond animal-based food systems (2021)
Journal Article
Morris, C., Kaljonen, M., Aavik, K., Balázs, B., Cole, M., Coles, B., Efstathiu, S., Fallon, T., Foden, M., Haifa Giraud, E., Goodman, M., Hadley Kershaw, E., Helliwell, R., Hobson-West, P., Häyry, M., Jallinoja, P., Jones, M., Kaarlenkaski, T., Laihonen, M., Lähteenmäki-Uutela, A., …White, R. (2021). Priorities for social science and humanities research on the challenges of moving beyond animal-based food systems. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8, Article 38. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00714-z

Increasingly high-profile research is being undertaken into the socio-environmental challenges associated with the over-production and consumption of food from animals. Transforming food systems to mitigate climate change and hidden hunger, ensure fo... Read More about Priorities for social science and humanities research on the challenges of moving beyond animal-based food systems.

Animal research beyond the laboratory: Report from a workshop on places other than licensed establishments (POLEs) in the UK (2020)
Journal Article
Palmer, A., Greenhough, B., Hobson‐west, P., Message, R., Aegerter, J. N., Belshaw, Z., Dennison, N., Dickey, R., Lane, J., Lorimer, J., Millar, K., Newman, C., Pullen, K., Reynolds, S. J., Wells, D. J., Witt, M. J., & Wolfensohn, S. (2020). Animal research beyond the laboratory: Report from a workshop on places other than licensed establishments (POLEs) in the UK. Animals, 10(10), Article 1868. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101868

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Research involving animals that occurs outside the laboratory raises an array of unique challenges. With regard to UK legislation, however, it receives only limited attention in terms of offic... Read More about Animal research beyond the laboratory: Report from a workshop on places other than licensed establishments (POLEs) in the UK.