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Unit of study_

OLET1656: Understanding Animal Welfare

2024 unit information

Ever wondered what it is like to be an elephant? Or why sheep might prefer not to take an overseas trip? Or how to tell if a cat is happy? This unit introduces you to the scientific and ethical frameworks that shape current societal attitudes to animals, how you can assess whether animals are experiencing good welfare, and the way in which practices, policies, legislation and the views of different stakeholders affect animal welfare outcomes. You'll explore these concepts using current examples of animal welfare issues and debates. This unit will stimulate your thinking about the impacts on animals of human activities and give you the skills to critically evaluate information and communicate effectively where your own views lie on animal welfare issues. Through taking this unit you'll discover why animal welfare has been called the social justice issue whose time has come.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

School of Veterinary Science Academic Operations

Code OLET1656
Academic unit School of Veterinary Science Academic Operations
Credit points 2
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None
Assumed knowledge:
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No prior knowledge required

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Recognise the key scientific and ethical concepts that underpin animal welfare
  • LO2. Identify differences in societal treatment of animals across different contexts
  • LO3. Describe the different factors that affect an animal’s welfare state
  • LO4. Distinguish the views of different stakeholders on an animal welfare issue
  • LO5. Critically evaluate policy decisions on animal welfare issues
  • LO6. Communicate effectively and succinctly where your own views lie on issues of animal use

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Intensive November 2024
Block mode Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Intensive November 2020
Block mode Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive November 2021
Block mode Remote
Intensive November 2022
Block mode Remote
Intensive November 2023
Block mode Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.