Oklahoma High School Animal Sports Team Names and the Potential for Conservation Connection
The way humans view animals has long-term implications for the conservation of species. Negatively viewed animals receive less funding, less media attention, and less public support than positively viewed animals. However, negative perceptions of animals can be changed through connections to cons...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
ORDT: Organization for Research Development and Training
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Interdisciplinary Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journalofinterdisciplinarysciences.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4-Oklahoma-High-School-Animal-Sports-Team-Names-and-The-Potential-For-Conservation-Connection.pdf |
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| Summary: | The way humans view animals has long-term implications for the conservation of species.
Negatively viewed animals receive less funding, less media attention, and less public support than
positively viewed animals. However, negative perceptions of animals can be changed through
connections to conservation. One path of conservation connection that has been underutilized is
joining conservation messaging to animal sports team names and mascots. A total of 475 Oklahoma
high schools had sports team names identified, with 272 being animal-themed. Vertebrates were more
common than invertebrates, with mammals, birds, and even-toed ungulates the most common groups
of animals chosen. The most common animal overall was the tiger (Panthera tigris) followed by the
domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Future studies should focus on temporal and regional patterns in
sports team names and mascots to better understand naming patterns. Additionally, we provide
guidance on raising conservation awareness using sports team mascots.
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| ISSN: | 2594-3405 |