{"id":{"repo_id":"brock","oai_identifier":"oai:brocku.scholaris.ca:10464/20293"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/brock/oai:brocku.scholaris.ca:10464/20293","repository":{"repo_id":"brock","name":"Brock University","base_url":"https://brocku.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Effective Altruism on Animal Activism — A Site of Ableism and Neoliberal Co-optation of Neurodivergence","abstract":"Effective Altruism, or EA, is a relatively recent framework and movement introduced to global philanthropic spaces (Singer, 2015), relying on “careful analysis of evidence” (Gabriel, 2017, p. 458) to answer the question, “How can I make the biggest difference I can?” (MacAskill, 2016, p. 11). It has been touted as an efficient method for maximizing the amount of good done through charitable donations targeting the most urgent social issues (MacAskill, 2016), including, according to effective altruists, animal welfare (Singer, 2015). Criticisms of EA have also emerged, particularly from progressive activists, academics, and journalists, who frequently express skepticism or dismiss EA entirely as guiding praxis for the pursuit of animal liberation and other social justice goals (e.g., Adams et al., 2023). Inspired by a critical discourse analysis (van Dijk, 1993) approach, this project conducts a broad survey of the most relevant existing literature covering Effective Altruism and its intersections with critical animal studies (CAS) and critical disability studies (CDS) theory. I submit, as some other scholars have done (ex. Adams et al., 2023; Broad, 2018), that Effective Altruism does more harm than good to the broader animal activism movement. I add to existing literature by arguing that Effective Altruism co-opts many strengths and traits associated with Autistic individuals into a neoliberal vision of charity over solidarity (Spade, 2020). However, in the spirit of “wounded flourishing” (Haraway, 2016, p. 120; Shotwell, 2016), I nonetheless identify in EA valuable insights that can be transferred to an alternate, autism-inclusive animal liberation framework. I conclude by pointing to various relevant CAS/CDS scholars/theories whose theoretical work aligns with a more radical vision of disability-inclusive and autism-inclusive animal liberation (e.g. Singer, 1998; Nocella, 2012; Best, 2014).","abstract_html":"Effective Altruism, or EA, is a relatively recent framework and movement introduced to global philanthropic spaces (Singer, 2015), relying on “careful analysis of evidence” (Gabriel, 2017, p. 458) to answer the question, “How can I make the biggest difference I can?” (MacAskill, 2016, p. 11). It has been touted as an efficient method for maximizing the amount of good done through charitable donations targeting the most urgent social issues (MacAskill, 2016), including, according to effective altruists, animal welfare (Singer, 2015). Criticisms of EA have also emerged, particularly from progressive activists, academics, and journalists, who frequently express skepticism or dismiss EA entirely as guiding praxis for the pursuit of animal liberation and other social justice goals (e.g., Adams et al., 2023). Inspired by a critical discourse analysis (van Dijk, 1993) approach, this project conducts a broad survey of the most relevant existing literature covering Effective Altruism and its intersections with critical animal studies (CAS) and critical disability studies (CDS) theory. I submit, as some other scholars have done (ex. Adams et al., 2023; Broad, 2018), that Effective Altruism does more harm than good to the broader animal activism movement. I add to existing literature by arguing that Effective Altruism co-opts many strengths and traits associated with Autistic individuals into a neoliberal vision of charity over solidarity (Spade, 2020). However, in the spirit of “wounded flourishing” (Haraway, 2016, p. 120; Shotwell, 2016), I nonetheless identify in EA valuable insights that can be transferred to an alternate, autism-inclusive animal liberation framework. I conclude by pointing to various relevant CAS/CDS scholars/theories whose theoretical work aligns with a more radical vision of disability-inclusive and autism-inclusive animal liberation (e.g. Singer, 1998; Nocella, 2012; Best, 2014).","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stokes, Shae"],"institution":"Brock University","degree_name":"M.A. Social Justice and Equity Studies","degree_level":"Master","degree_discipline":"Faculty of Social Sciences","degree_department":"Social Justice and Equity Studies Program","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dolgert, Stefan"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05","date_published":"2026-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:14Z","subjects":["Critical animal studies","Critical disability studies","Effective altruism","Neurodivergence","Autism"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10464/20293","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dolgert, Stefan"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Social Justice and Equity Studies Program"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stokes, Shae"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-05-12T15:02:40Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Brock University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Faculty of Social Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A. Social Justice and Equity Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Critical animal studies","Critical disability studies","Effective altruism","Neurodivergence","Autism"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10464/20293"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Effective Altruism, or EA, is a relatively recent framework and movement introduced to global philanthropic spaces (Singer, 2015), relying on “careful analysis of evidence” (Gabriel, 2017, p. 458) to answer the question, “How can I make the biggest difference I can?” (MacAskill, 2016, p. 11). It has been touted as an efficient method for maximizing the amount of good done through charitable donations targeting the most urgent social issues (MacAskill, 2016), including, according to effective altruists, animal welfare (Singer, 2015). Criticisms of EA have also emerged, particularly from progressive activists, academics, and journalists, who frequently express skepticism or dismiss EA entirely as guiding praxis for the pursuit of animal liberation and other social justice goals (e.g., Adams et al., 2023). Inspired by a critical discourse analysis (van Dijk, 1993) approach, this project conducts a broad survey of the most relevant existing literature covering Effective Altruism and its intersections with critical animal studies (CAS) and critical disability studies (CDS) theory. I submit, as some other scholars have done (ex. Adams et al., 2023; Broad, 2018), that Effective Altruism does more harm than good to the broader animal activism movement. I add to existing literature by arguing that Effective Altruism co-opts many strengths and traits associated with Autistic individuals into a neoliberal vision of charity over solidarity (Spade, 2020). However, in the spirit of “wounded flourishing” (Haraway, 2016, p. 120; Shotwell, 2016), I nonetheless identify in EA valuable insights that can be transferred to an alternate, autism-inclusive animal liberation framework. I conclude by pointing to various relevant CAS/CDS scholars/theories whose theoretical work aligns with a more radical vision of disability-inclusive and autism-inclusive animal liberation (e.g. Singer, 1998; Nocella, 2012; Best, 2014)."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effective Altruism on Animal Activism — A Site of Ableism and Neoliberal Co-optation of Neurodivergence"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Dolgert, Stefan"],"dc:contributor.department":["Social Justice and Equity Studies Program"],"dc:creator":["Stokes, Shae"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-05-12T15:02:40Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["Effective Altruism, or EA, is a relatively recent framework and movement introduced to global philanthropic spaces (Singer, 2015), relying on “careful analysis of evidence” (Gabriel, 2017, p. 458) to answer the question, “How can I make the biggest difference I can?” (MacAskill, 2016, p. 11). It has been touted as an efficient method for maximizing the amount of good done through charitable donations targeting the most urgent social issues (MacAskill, 2016), including, according to effective altruists, animal welfare (Singer, 2015). Criticisms of EA have also emerged, particularly from progressive activists, academics, and journalists, who frequently express skepticism or dismiss EA entirely as guiding praxis for the pursuit of animal liberation and other social justice goals (e.g., Adams et al., 2023). Inspired by a critical discourse analysis (van Dijk, 1993) approach, this project conducts a broad survey of the most relevant existing literature covering Effective Altruism and its intersections with critical animal studies (CAS) and critical disability studies (CDS) theory. I submit, as some other scholars have done (ex. Adams et al., 2023; Broad, 2018), that Effective Altruism does more harm than good to the broader animal activism movement. I add to existing literature by arguing that Effective Altruism co-opts many strengths and traits associated with Autistic individuals into a neoliberal vision of charity over solidarity (Spade, 2020). However, in the spirit of “wounded flourishing” (Haraway, 2016, p. 120; Shotwell, 2016), I nonetheless identify in EA valuable insights that can be transferred to an alternate, autism-inclusive animal liberation framework. I conclude by pointing to various relevant CAS/CDS scholars/theories whose theoretical work aligns with a more radical vision of disability-inclusive and autism-inclusive animal liberation (e.g. Singer, 1998; Nocella, 2012; Best, 2014)."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10464/20293"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Brock University"],"dc:rights":["Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["Critical animal studies","Critical disability studies","Effective altruism","Neurodivergence","Autism"],"dc:title":["Effective Altruism on Animal Activism — A Site of Ableism and Neoliberal Co-optation of Neurodivergence"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Faculty of Social Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A. Social Justice and Equity Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:14Z"}