Abstract
The article examines how the strategy of constructing the social problem of animal cruelty in Russia has become successful in the context of preparing and holding sports mega- events. The constructionist theory of social problems by M. Spector, J. Kitsius, and J. Best is developed on the basis of N. Elias’s civilization theory, as well as on the studies of mega- events in non-western countries. The analytical scheme of hierarchically interconnected levels of industries of social problems initiating, in interaction, the very actualization of various social conditions on the threshold of mega- events is offered: these are regional, national, and international. Two cities were chosen, Kazan and Sochi, for the empirical fields of research. The research sample included materials from the media of regional and federal publications. The articles on the topic of stray animals in Sochi and Kazan in the eve of the sports mega- events were also searched on the websites of major international news agencies and newspapers. The method of discourse analysis was applied to the rhetoric of the main actors, to identify the main techniques of typification and the main discourses that are formed around the issue of the homeless animals’ treatment. Longitudinal media analysis allowed us to see how the rhetoric of actors of the national industry of social problems changes under the pressure of the international industry of social problems. We consider discursive constructions that are actively promoted at the regional level, but are modified or disappear at the federal and international levels.
References
Amos, H. (2018, May 29). Is Russia Killing Stray Dogs Ahead of the World Cup? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/may/29/russia-stray-dogs-world-cup-cull-sochi-yekaterinburg
Best, J. (2018). Constructing animal species as social problems. Sociology Compass, 12(11), e12630. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12630
Blumer, H. (1971). Social problems as collective behavior. Social Problems, 18(3), 298–306. https://doi.org/10.2307/799797
Chelovek i beznadzornye zhivotnye: Kontrolirovat’, borot’sya ili pomogat’? (2022, August 19). https://wciom.ru/analytical-reviews/analiticheskii-obzor/chelovek-i-bezdomnye-zhivotnye-kontrolirovat-borotsja-ili-pomogat (In Russian).
Clancy, E. A., & Rowan, A. N. (2003). Companion animal demographics in the United States: A historical perspective. In D. J. Salem & A. N. Rowan (Eds.), The state of the animals II: 2003 (pp. 9–26). Humane Society Press.
Cornelissen, S. (2012). ‘Our struggles are bigger than the World Cup’: Civic activism, state‐society relations and the socio‐political legacies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup 1. The British Journal of Sociology, 63(2), 328–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2012.01412.x
Elias, N. (2001a). On the process of civilization. Sociogenetic and psychogenetic studies: Vol. 1. Changes in the behavior of the upper stratum of the laity in Western countries. Universitetskaia kniga. (In Russian).
Elias, N. (2001b). On the process of civilization. Sociogenetic and psychogenetic studies: Vol. 2. Changes in the environment. Project of the Theory of Civilization. Universitetskaia kniga. (In Russian).
Fadeeva, E. (2011a, January 26). Goszakupki v RT: superzakazy Minstroya dlya Universiady. BIZNES Online. https://www.business-gazeta.ru/article/34941 (In Russian).
Fadeeva, E. (2011b, March 28). Evrostandart dlya bezdomnogo. BIZNES Online. https://www.business-gazeta.ru/article/37904 (In Russian).
Fomenko, V. (2013, April 30). Olimpiiskaya zhivodernya: V Sochi ob’yavili konkurs na ‘utilizatsiyu beznadzornykh zhivotnykh’. Gazeta Trud. https://www.trud.ru/article/17-04-2013/1292472_olimpijskaja_zhivodernja_v_sochi_objavili_konkurs_na_utilizatsiju_bezdomnyx_zhivotnyx.html (In Russian).
Grebennikova, U. (2020, March 1). Vlasti Sochi gotovy vydelyat’ 20 mln rub na priyut dlya bezdomnykh zhivotnykh. RIA Novosti. https://ria.ru/20130423/934145172.html (In Russian).
Greene, S. J. (2003). Staged cities: Mega-events, slum clearance, and global capital. Yale Hum. Rts. & Dev. LJ, 6, 161.
Heritage, T. (2014, February 5). IOC says no “healthy” dogs being killed in Sochi. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/olympics-sochi-dogs/ioc-says-no-healthy-dogs-being-killed-in-sochi-idINDEEA140FZ20140205
Jasper, J. M., & Poulsen, J. D. (1995). Recruiting strangers and friends: Moral shocks and social networks in animal rights and anti-nuclear protests. Social Problems, 42(4), 493–512. https://doi.org/10.2307/3097043
Jonathan Grix & Nina Kramareva. (2017). The Sochi Winter Olympics and Russia’s unique soft power strategy. Sport in Society, 20(4), 461–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2015.1100890
Karbainov, N. I. (2013). Appropriation of Property in Olympic Capitals: Sochi in a Comparative Perspective. Universe of Russia, 22(1), 106–131. (In Russian).
Katargin, D. (2013, March 28). Sterilizatsiya sobaki – ne panatseya ot ukusov. Zubyi-to ey myi ne udalyaem... BIZNES Online. https://www.business-gazeta.ru/article/77572 (In Russian).
Kete, K. (2002). Animals and ideology: The politics of animal protection in Europe. In N. Rothfels (Ed.), Representing animals (pp. 19–34). University of Illinois Press.
Khaletskaia, I. (2018, January 26). Sobachii vals. Kak v gorodakh-organizatorakh CHM reshaiut problemu brodyachikh psov. RIA Novosti. https://ria.ru/20180126/1513327682.html (In Russian).
Loseke, D. R. (2017). Thinking about social problems: An introduction to constructionist perspectives. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315135601
Loseke, D. R., & Best, J. (2003). Social problems: Constructionist readings. Transaction Publishers.
Manzenreiter, W. (2010). The Beijing Games in the Western Imagination of China: The Weak Power of Soft Power. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 34(1), 29–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723509358968
Minina, E. L. (2014). Problems of Legal Regulation of Treatment of Animals. Journal of Russian Law, 12(216), 80–88. (In Russian).
Müller, M. (2011). State dirigisme in megaprojects: Governing the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Environment and Planning A, 43(9), 2091–2108. https://doi.org/10.1068/a43284
Mutko obsudil s zoozashchitnikami otlov bezdomnykh sobak pered CHM-2018. (2018, February 7). RBK. https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5a7b1a919a7947a23e4a292d (In Russian).
Newkey-Burden, C. (2018, June 4). Russia Is Killing Stray Dogs. World Cup Stars Must Help Stop the Slaughter. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/04/russia-killing-stray-dogs-world-cup-fifa
Novost: Ol’ga Noskovets: ‘Sochi na vidu u vsego mira, a na ulitsakh lezhat trupy zhivotnykh’, 29.04.2013. (2013, April 29). https://sochi.com/news/2099/296046/ (In Russian).
Oh, M., & Jackson, J. (2011). Animal rights vs. Cultural rights: Exploring the dog meat debate in South Korea from a world polity perspective. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32(1), 31–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2010.491272
Ozerova, M. (2018, March 22). ‘Otchityvayutsya morozhenymi golovami sobak’: Eksperty obsudili otlov zhivotnykh k CHM-2018. MK.RU. https://www.mk.ru/social/2018/03/22/otchityvayutsya-morozhenymi-golovami-sobak-eksperty-obsudili-otlov-zhivotnykh-k-chm2018.html (In Russian).
Phillips, L., & Jorgensen, M. W. (2004). Discourse analysis: Theory and method. Izdatel’stvo Gumanitarnogo tsentra. (In Russian).
Podberscek, A. L. (2009). Good to pet and eat: The keeping and consuming of dogs and cats in South Korea. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 615–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01616.x
Pora zakanchivat’ s giperproektami. (2009, January 30). Vechernyaya Kazan’ (Respublika Tatarstan). (In Russian).
Reshenie b/n. Reshenie po delu #VP-18/2018 o rezul’tatakh vneplanovoi proverki soblyudeniya zakonodatel’stva o razmeshchenii zakazov ot 1 marta 2018 goda. (2023, June 20). Baza Reshenii FAS. https://br.fas.gov.ru/to/krasnodarskoe-ufas-rossii/vp-18-2018/ (In Russian).
Roche, M. (1994). Mega-events and urban policy. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(94)90002-7
Rusakova, I. V. (2020). Contracts for the provision of services for trapping and keeping stray animals in cities of the Russian Federation: Costs and results. Modern Science: Actual Problems of Theory and Practice. Series: Economics and Law, 5, 52–59. https://doi.org/10.37882/2223-2974.2020.05.27 (In Russian).
Serova, I. (2013, March 20). Zoozashchitniki Rossii i Evropy: ‘Net Universiade na krovi!’ Vechernyaya Kazan’. https://www.evening-kazan.ru/print/33086 (In Russian).
Shumovskaia, E. (2013, September 30). Tender na otlov. Chto proiskhodit s brodyachimi sobakami v Sochi nakanune Igr. AiF-Kuban’ (Krasnodar). https://kuban.aif.ru/society/934870 (In Russian).
Stewart, W. (2018, January 22). Putin to deploy “canine KGB death squads” to butcher thousands of stray dogs in football World Cup host cities, claim campaigners. World News – Mirror Online. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-deploy-canine-kgb-death-11892422
Svedeniya zakaza #0111300000113000109. (2023, June 20). https://zakupki.gov.ru/pgz/public/action/orders/info/common_info/show?notificationId=5915150 (In Russian).
Tender na vypolnenie rabot po otlovu, podboru i utilizatsii beznadzornykh zhivotnykh (sobak i koshek) | g. Sochi, Krasnodarskii krai | 14019231 | Rostender. (2023, June 20). https://rostender.info/region/krasnodarskij-kraj/sochi/14019231 (In Russian).
Tomlinson, R. (2010). Whose accolades? An alternative perspective on motivations for hosting the Olympics. Urban Forum, 21(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-010-9082-9
Tretyakova, M. (2018, January 11). V gorodakh-uchastnikakh CHM-2018 otkroyut vremennye priyuty dlya brodyachikh sobak. https://www.pnp.ru/social/v-gorodakh-uchastnikakh-chm-2018-otkroyut-vremennye-priyuty-dlya-brodyachikh-sobak.html (In Russian).
Unnithan, N. P. (1994). Children as victims of homicide: Making claims, formulating categories, and constructing social problems. Deviant Behavior, 15(1), 63–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.1994.9967958
V Kazani neobkhodimo usilit’ rabotu po otlovu beznadzornykh zhivotnykh. (2006, February 14). Kazanskii Informatsionnyi Portal. (In Russian).
V Kazani unichtozhat’ tol’ko agressivynykh sobak, ostal’nykh – sterilizuyut. (2013, March 28). Gorodskoi Portal. Kazan’. (In Russian).
V proshlom godu 2462 brodyachikh sobaki v Kazani obreli novykh khozyaev. (2011, March 28). https://www.kzn.ru (In Russian).
Voinov, D. E. (2013). Typology of Political Influence on the Modern Olympics. The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 16(5), 21–38. (In Russian).
Waldau, P. (2013). Animal studies: An introduction. Oxford University Press.
Yasaveev, I. G. (2004). Constructionist approach to social problems. The Journal of Social Policy Studies, 2(4), 533–546. (In Russian).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.