Prof. Leslie Irvine

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University of Colorado at Boulder
College of Arts and Sciences
Sociology
Associate ProfessorAppointed: 1998
University of Colorado at Boulder
College of Arts and Sciences
Sociology
Associate Chair for the Graduate ProgramAppointed: 2005
Professional Headshot of Leslie Irvine

Mailing Address

Department of Sociology
219 Ketchum
327 UCB
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0327
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (303) 492-7039
Fax: (303) 492-8878
irvinel@colorado.edu

Qualifications

Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, Sociology, 1997.
M.A., Florida Atlantic University, Sociology, 1992.
B.A., Florida Atlantic University, Fine Arts (History of Art), 1990.

Expertise and Research Interests

My expertise is primarily in social psychology, particularly in the areas of identity and the self. I also have expertise in the study of gender and in sociological theory. For the past five years, I have studied various aspects of the role of animals in society. In September, 2004, I did research in Florida following Hurricane Charley to understand the impact of the storm on animals and their people.In 2005, I did research at the staging area for the animal rescue from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. This research will form the basis of a book I am currently writing.

My most recent book is If You Tame Me: Understanding our Connection with Companion Animals, published in 2004 by Temple University Press. It examines how animals' subjectivity becomes available to human beings during the course of everyday interaction, and how people build relationships with animals that are unique from, not substitutes for, relationships with other humans.The work builds on theories of the subjective experience of pre-verbal infants to argue that animals have the same elements of 'core' selfhood.

My first book, Codependent Forevermore (University of Chicago Press, 1999), examined how people make their lives livable again after the breakup of a committed relationship. I studied the Twelve Step group, Codependents Anonymous, to learn how members used the discourse to make sense of the experience called 'uncoupling.' I developed the concept of the 'Insitution Lite' to describe how Twelve Step groups function as support and structure without the demands of traditional institutions.

Other Expertise

I also have expertise in the areas of gender, the sociology of emotions, sociological theory, and social psychology.

Industrial Relevance

My work can inform the animal welfare profession, in particular, but any field related to human-animal interaction. My work on animals and disasters would be of interest to emergency responders. My research on emotion management in humane education was cited in 'Animal Sheltering,' published by the Humane Society of theUnited States.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Animal Welfare, Emotions, Social Psychology, Sociological Theory, Sociology.

Additional Terms:

Companion Animals, Emotions, Self and Identity, Social Psychology.

Memberships

American Sociological Association
International Society for Anthrozoology

Honors and Awards

2007, Distinguished Scholarship Award, Animals and Society Section, American Sociological Association
2003, Marinus Smith Teaching Award, University of Colorado Parents Association, University of Colorado at Boulder
2002, Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Given by the Graduate Students, Department of Sociology
1997, The Herbert Blumer Award, Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction
1992, Graduate Student Paper Award, Sociology of Emotions Section, American Sociological Association

Previous Positions

1998-2004, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder, College of Arts and Sciences, Sociology
1997-1998, Field Researcher, Hartford Seminary, Center for Social and Religious Research
1996-1998, Visiting Lecturer and Assistant Professor, Wesleyan University, Sociology

Funding Received

  • Council on Research and Creative Work, University of Colorado: 'Self-perception at the Dawn of the Twenty-first Century', $300, Feb 1, 2003 to Jun 1, 2003.
  • University of Colorado, Dean's Fund for Excellence: "Young People's Interactions with Livestock in 4H Programs", 500.00, 2007 to 2007.
  • CMS 0408499: Quick Response Grant for "Providing for Pets following Disasters Part II: Animal Response Volunteers in Gonzales, Louisiana", 800.00, 2005 to 2005.
  • National Science Foundation (NSF): "Providing for Pets during Disasters", 818.00, 2004 to 2004.
  • Council on Research and Creative Work, University of Colorado: Conference Grant for Couch-Stone Symposium of Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction, $2,000.00, 2004 to 2004.
  • Dean's Fund for Excellence, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder: Visiting Speaker grant, $400.00, 2004 to 2005.

Publications

  • Irvine, Leslie (2009) Filling the Ark: The Welfare of Animals in Disasters, Philadelphia, Temple University Press, Unpublished
  • Irvine, Leslie, Animals in Disasters: Responsibility and Action, Animals and Society Institute Policy Paper, Ann Arbor: MI, Animals and Society Institute, 2007, ISBN=0-9788572-2-4
  • Irvine, Leslie (2007) "Ready or Not: Evacuating an Animal Shelter during a Mock Emergency.", Anthrozoös, 20, 355-364
  • Irvine, Leslie (2007) "The Question of Animal Selves: Implications for Sociological Knowledge and Practice, Qualitative Sociology Review, 3, 5-21
  • Irvine, Leslie (2007) "Animals in Disasters.", Encyclopedia of Human Animal Relationships, Vol 2, Westport CT, Greenwood, 703-708 pages (bookchapter)
  • Irvine, Leslie (2007) "Selfhood in animals.", Encyclopedia of Human Animal Relationships (Vol. 4),, Westport CT, Greenwood, 1311-1314 pages (bookchapter)
  • Irvine, Leslie, "A Model of Animal Selfhood: Expanding Interactionist Possibilities.", Symbolic Interaction, 27, 3-21, 2004
  • Irvine, Leslie, If You Tame Me: Understanding our Connection with Animals, 2004
  • Irvine, Leslie, “Providing for Pets during Disasters: An Exploratory Study.”, Quick Response Research Report, 171, 2004
  • Irvine, Leslie, “Pampered or Enslaved? The Moral Dilemmas of Pets", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 24, 5-17, 2004
  • Irvine, Leslie, “The Problem of Unwanted Pets: A Case Study in How Institutions ‘Think’ About Clients’ Needs.”, Social Problems, 50, 550-566, 2003
  • Irvine, Leslie, “George’s Bulldog: What Mead’s Canine Companion Could Have Told Him About the Self.”, Sociological Origins, 3, 46-49, 2003
  • Irvine, Leslie, “Cat-egorically Family.”, Network News (Sociologists for Women in Society), 9, 15-19, 2003
  • Irvine, Leslie, 'Animal Problems/People Skills: Emotional and Interactional Strategies in Humane Education.', Society & Animals, 10, 63-91, 2002
  • Irvine, Leslie, 'The Power of Play.', Antrhrozoos, 14, 151-160, 2001
  • Irvine, Leslie, Even Better Than the Real Thing: Narratives of the Self in Codependency., Qualitative Sociology, 23, 9-28, 2001
  • Irvine, Leslie, and Brian Klocke, Redefining Men: Alternative Masculinities in a Twelve Step Group., Men & Masculinities, 4, 27-48, 2001
  • Irvine, Leslie, Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a Twelve Step Program, University of Chicago Press, 1999
  • Irvine, Leslie, Reconsidering the American Emotional Culture: Codependency and Emotion Management., Innovation: The European Journal of Social Sciences, 10, 345-359, 1997
  • Irvine, Leslie, Codependency and Recovery: Gender, Self, and Emotions in Popular Self-Help., Symbolic Interaction, 18, 145-163, 1995
  • Irvine, Leslie, "Codependency", , Encyclopedia of Social Problems, Thousand Oaks CA, Sage, Submitted (bookchapter)

Profile Details

Last Updated: 1/28/2008

COS Expertise ID #1015319
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/irvinel