Siobhan O'Sullivan
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Siobhan O'Sullivan is an Australian
political scientist Political science is the science, scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of politics, political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated c ...
and
political theorist A political theorist is someone who engages in constructing or evaluating political theory, including political philosophy. Theorists may be academics or independent scholars. Here the most notable political theorists are categorized by their ...
who is currently an associate professor in the School of Social Sciences,
University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
. Her research has focused, among other things, on
animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
policy and the
welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...
. She is the author of ''Animals, Equality and Democracy'' (2011, Palgrave Macmillan) and a coauthor of ''Getting Welfare to Work'' (2015, Oxford University Press) and ''Buying and Selling the Poor'' (2022, Sydney University Press). She co-edited ''Contracting-out Welfare Services'' (2015, Wiley) and ''The Political Turn in Animal Ethics'' (2016, Rowman & Littlefield International). She is founding host of the regular
animal studies Animal studies is a recently recognised field in which animals are studied in a variety of cross-disciplinary ways. Scholars who engage in animal studies may be formally trained in a number of diverse fields, including geography, art history, ant ...
podcast ''Knowing Animals''.


Career

Siobhan O'Sullivan read for a PhD in government and international relations in the Faculty of Economics and Business,
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, where she was supervised by Lyn Carson. Her thesis, entitled ''Animal Visibility and Equality in Liberal Democratic States: A Study Into Animal Ethics and the Nature of Bias in Animal Protection Regulation'', was submitted in May 2007. It was examined by Denise Russell and
Robert Garner Robert Garner is a British political scientist, political theorist, and intellectual historian. He is a Professor Emeritus in the politics department at the University of Leicester , where he has worked for much of his career. Before working at ...
. O'Sullivan graduated in 2008. In that same year, she became a
research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a pr ...
at the School of Social and Political Sciences at the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
, spending some time at
Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, as a part of the Human-Animal Studies Fellowship program. The research that went into her PhD project subsequently formed the basis of her 2011 book ''Animals, Equality and Democracy'', published by
Palgrave Macmillan Palgrave Macmillan is a British academic and trade publishing company headquartered in the London Borough of Camden. Its programme includes textbooks, journals, monographs, professional and reference works in print and online. It maintains off ...
in conjunction with the
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics is an organisation based in Oxford which promotes animal ethics. History The centre was founded in Oxford in 2006 by Andrew Linzey, a member of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oxf ...
as part of the Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series, edited by
Andrew Linzey Andrew Linzey (born 2 February 1952) is an English Anglican priest, theologian, and prominent figure in Christian vegetarianism. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oxford, and held the world's first academic post in Et ...
and
Priscilla Cohn Priscilla T. Neuman Cohn Ferrater Mora (; December 14, 1933 – June 27, 2019) was an American philosopher and animal rights activist. She was Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Pennsylvania State University, associate director of the Oxford Ce ...
. O'Sullivan was based at the University of Melbourne for seven years, and subsequently became a
lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
in
social policy Social policy is a plan or action of government or institutional agencies which aim to improve or reform society. Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize soci ...
in the School of Social Sciences,
University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
. In 2015, her ''Getting Welfare to Work: Street Level Governance in Australia, the UK and the Netherlands'' (coauthored with
Mark Considine Mark Considine (born 1953) is an Australian political scientist, who specialises in public sector reform, and reforms of social services. Since 2018, he has been Provost of the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social ...
, Jenny M. Lewis and Els Sol) was published with
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, and the edited collection ''Contracting-out Welfare Services: Comparing National Policy Designs for Unemployment Assistance'', edited by O'Sullivan and Considine, was published with
Wiley Wiley may refer to: Locations * Wiley, Colorado, a U.S. town *Wiley, Pleasants County, West Virginia, U.S. * Wiley-Kaserne, a district of the city of Neu-Ulm, Germany People * Wiley (musician), British grime MC, rapper, and producer * Wiley Mill ...
. Another collection, ''The Political Turn in Animal Ethics'', co-edited by O'Sullivan and
Robert Garner Robert Garner is a British political scientist, political theorist, and intellectual historian. He is a Professor Emeritus in the politics department at the University of Leicester , where he has worked for much of his career. Before working at ...
, was published by
Rowman & Littlefield Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
in 2016. In August 2020, O'Sullivan was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...
. She become a spokesperson for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and established animal studies prizes with the Australasian Animal Studies Association. In 2022, she published ''Buying and Selling the Poor'', co-authored with Michael McGann and
Mark Considine Mark Considine (born 1953) is an Australian political scientist, who specialises in public sector reform, and reforms of social services. Since 2018, he has been Provost of the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social ...
, with
Sydney University Press Sydney University Press is the scholarly publisher of the University of Sydney. It is part of the Library. Sydney University Press was founded as a traditional university press and operated as such from 1962 to 1987. It was re-established in 20 ...
. While living with cancer, O'Sullivan publicly campaigned for the legalisation of assisted dying in New South Wales;
Alex Greenwich Alexander Hart Greenwich (born 28 November 1980) is the member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of Sydney since the 2012 Sydney by-election. He ran as an independent and was backed by his predecessor, independ ...
's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 was passed in May 2022.


Research

On the website of the University of New South Wales, O'Sullivan is listed as conducting research into "the delivery of contracted employment services in Australia, the UK, and around the world". Her research interests are listed as the
welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...
, "mission drift",
animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
policy and
environmental ethics In environmental philosophy, environmental ethics is an established field of practical philosophy "which reconstructs the essential types of argumentation that can be made for protecting natural entities and the sustainable use of natural resourc ...
. In addition to her published work, she has contributed to research reports on
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
and the welfare state for Australasian and European audiences. She has also published in the popular press, and, for several years, produced ''Knowing Animals'', a fortnightly podcast in which she talks to
animal studies Animal studies is a recently recognised field in which animals are studied in a variety of cross-disciplinary ways. Scholars who engage in animal studies may be formally trained in a number of diverse fields, including geography, art history, ant ...
scholars about their research. ''Knowing Animals'', which was launched in 2015, includes the main ''Knowing Animals'' series and a second series called ''Protecting Animals'', which features interviews with animal advocates about their practical work for animals. The podcast was subsequently taken over by Josh Milburn. O'Sullivan is a key figure in the "political turn" in
animal ethics Animal ethics is a branch of ethics which examines human-animal relationships, the moral consideration of animals and how nonhuman animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, ani ...
(i.e., the emergence of animal ethics informed by
political theory Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...
rather than
moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
). In her ''Animals, Equality and Democracy'', O'Sullivan explores the issue of the unequal treatment of members of different species in contemporary societies. However, she draws a distinction between the "external inconsistency" and the "internal inconsistency", with the former being the inconsistency between the treatment of humans and other animals, and the latter being the inconsistency between the treatment of different nonhuman animals. While traditional analyses of the issue have focused on the external inconsistency, O'Sullivan looks to the internal inconsistency. In particular, O'Sullivan argues that those animals who are more visible are offered greater protection under the law. So, for example, while animals used in agriculture are shielded from public view, animals used in sport have relatively high levels of public visibility. In order to illustrate the difference between the visibility of different animals, O'Sullivan examines
interviews An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" r ...
with animal activists and offers a media content analysis of Australian newspapers. In order to explore legal differences, she examines the legal protection offered to animals in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, which she compares with the legal protection offered to animals in 19th century England. This internal inconsistency caused by differential visibility is, O'Sullivan says, not only unjust and morally arbitrary, but also contrary to "the important liberal democratic values of equity and informed public decision making". She proposes a new approach to animal advocacy, suggesting that advocates focus on the internal inconsistency rather than the external inconsistency. Nina Varsava, publishing in the ''Journal for Critical Animal Studies'', offered an unfavourable review of the book, saying that O'Sullivan's criticism of legal protection of animals through the lens of the internal, but not external, inconsistency might make for "good liberal politics", but it made for "bad animal ethics". "O'Sullivan", she said, "chooses political expediency over moral, or, for that matter, logical, integrity".
Alasdair Cochrane Alasdair Cochrane (born 31 March 1978) is a British political theorist and ethicist who is currently Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield. He is known for his wo ...
was more complimentary. He expressed concern that O'Sullivan's "call for liberal principles to be applied consistently to animals is vulnerable to the charge that these principles are not meant for animals", meaning that O'Sullivan would have to respond to the external inconsistency first. Nonetheless, he praised ''Animals, Equality and Democracy'' as offering "rigorous analysis, compelling insights, and a persuasive basis on which to build an animal protection strategy that is progressive, nondiscriminatory, and attuned to widely held political beliefs and practices". The book's preface was written by Garner, who praised O'Sullivan's innovative approach.Garner, Robert (2011). "Preface", in ''Animals, Equality and Democracy'' by Siobhan O'Sullivan. Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan.


Selected publications

;Books *Considine, Mark, Jenny M. Lewis, Siobhan S. O'Sullivan and Els Sol (2015). ''Getting Welfare to Work''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. * *O'Sullivan, Siobhan, Michael McGann, and Mark Considine (2022). ''Buying and Selling the Poor''. Sydney: Sydney University Press. ;Edited collections *O'Sullivan, Siobhan, and
Robert Garner Robert Garner is a British political scientist, political theorist, and intellectual historian. He is a Professor Emeritus in the politics department at the University of Leicester , where he has worked for much of his career. Before working at ...
, eds., (2016). ''The Political Turn in Animal Ethics''. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. *O'Sullivan, Siobhan, and Mark Considine, eds., (2015). ''Contracting-out Welfare Services''. Haboken, New Jersey: Wiley.


References


External links


Siobhan O'Sullivan
at the University of New South Wales *
''Knowing Animals''
podcast
Siobhan O'Sullivan
at the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies {{DEFAULTSORT:OSullivan, Siobhan Living people Animal welfare scholars Australian political scientists Australian political philosophers Academic staff of the University of New South Wales University of Sydney alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Women political scientists