The goal of the animal rights movement, which first gained traction in the 1970s, is to put a stop to the usage of animals as food and test subjects. It has put to the test conventional animal welfare, which aims to end the needless suffering of animals. The animal rights movement is distinguished strategically by its willingness to engage in grassroots activity and lobbying, which, at its extremes, has included, occasionally violent, direct action.
The general justifications used to explain the rise of the animal rights movement include those based on post-material ideals, profession, and gender. The latter is thought to be especially appropriate, not least because the majority of animal rights activists are women.
The independent explanatory validity of people's sincere concern for animals and what is done to them can be accommodated by other explanations. This includes the impact of an animal-centered radical philosophy—in particular, the work of Singer (1975) and Regan (1984]—as well as increased awareness of animals' capacities and media attention to animal issues.
Bibliography:
Regan, T. (1984) The Case for Animal Rights. Routledge,
London.
Singer, P. (1975) Animal Liberation. Jonathan Cape,
London.