Module ANTM102 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ANTM102: Anthrozoology: Theory and Method
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to:
- introduce students from a diverse range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds to ‘anthrozoology’ (the study of human-animal interactions) from an anthropological perspective
- to provide you with the theoretical grounding needed to engage in critical analysis of contemporary and historical examples of human-animal interactions in a range of cultural contexts.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. show a detailed engagement with a wide range of human interactions with other animals in a range of cultural contexts; 2. critically discuss the implications of human interactions with other animals in a range of cultural contexts; 3. show a detailed understanding of the development of theoretical ideas relating to human interactions with other animals within the social and natural sciences; 4. show a critical appreciation of the ways in which perceptions about animals are formed and develop; 5. demonstrate a reflexive ability to engage with the cultural practices and personal beliefs of others in a sensitive manner; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 6. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which human interactions with other animals relate to the anthropological endeavour; 7. critically assess and engage with some of the key debates from anthropology and a range of cognate disciplines surrounding human-animal interactions; 8. evaluate the anthropological prioritising of the human animal and the nature of classificatory systems utilised by anthropologists to facilitate this process; 9. make reflexive, theoretically informed cross-cultural comparisons; |
Personal and Key Skills | 10. demonstrate critical synoptic skills and the confidence to theoretically challenge hegemonic ideas relating to inter-species relationships; 11. Express complex ideas in a clear, coherent and reflexive manner; and 12. engage in productive group discussions and provide constructive feedback to peers. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The syllabus will be split into three phases. The first is concerned with introducing students to a wide range of ethnographic case studies which document and explore the many and varied ways in which humans think about and engage with other animals. Specific case studies might include blood sports, pet-keeping, food taboos and dietary preferences, and the place of animals in religious belief and practice. The second will consider key theoretical debates concerning not just human interactions with animals, but also the ways in which these interactions have featured in or impacted on the social sciences, and anthropology in particular. So, topics to be covered could include post-humanism and its relationship to post-colonialism, intersubjectivity and the possibility of 'knowing' how another (human or nonhuman) experiences the world, the question of personhood and what characteristics combine to make a 'person' and the place of nonhumans in a cosmopolitan anthropology. The third phase will explore the methodological limitations and possibilities of an anthropological (ethnographic) approach to inter- and multi-species interactions. Students will also be required to undertake formative study-skills assessments from the start of the module to ensure that they are cognisant of the expectations of academic referencing systems, as well as to help them develop their confidence and critical/synoptic skills.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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40 | 260 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 20 | 20 x 1 hour podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations |
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 20 | 10 x 2 hour discussion/seminar participations on the VLE discussion forums |
Guided Independent Study | 80 | Weekly preparatory reading for lectures and seminars |
Guided Independent Study | 80 | Preparation for formative assessments |
Guided Independent Study | 100 | Research and writing of summative assessments |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
Web based and electronic resources:
Anthrozoos (http://www.bergpublishers.com/?TabId=519)
Humanimalia (http://www.depauw.edu/humanimalia/)
Society & Animals (http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org/sa/index.html)
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Basic reading:
Candea, M. 2010. ‘I fell in love with Carlos the Meerkat’: engagement and detachment in human–animal relations. American Ethnologist 37(2): 241–258.
Franklin, A. 1999. Animals and Modern Cultures.London: Sage.
Goode, D. 2006. Playing with my dog Katie: an ethnomethodological study of dog–human interaction.West Lafayette,IN:PurdueUniversity Press.
Hamilton, L. & Taylor, N. 2012. 'Ethnography in evolution: Adapting to the animal 'other' in organizations' Journal of Organizational Ethnography. 1 (1): np.
Hurn, S. 2010. ‘What’s in a name? Anthrozoology, human-animal studies, animal studies or…’ Anthropology Today. Volume 26 (3): 27 – 28.
Hurn, S. 2012. Humans and Other Animals.London: Pluto Press.
Ingold, T. (ed.) 1994. What is an animal?London: Routledge.
Kirksey, E. and Helmreich, S. 2010. The emergence of multispecies ethnography. Cultural Anthropology 25: 545–576.
Knight, J. (ed.) 2005. Animals in Person: Cultural Perspectives on Human-Animal Intimacies.Oxford: Berg.
Kohn, E. 2007. How dogs dream: Amazonian natures and the politics of trans-species engagement. American Ethnologist 34: 3–24.
Manning, A. & Serpell, J. (eds). 1994. Animals and Human Society.London: Routledge.