Human-animal studies is an academic field that has grown exponentially over the past decade. It explores the whys, hows, and whats of human-animal relations:
why
animals are represented and configured in different ways in human cultures and societies around the world;
how
they are imagined, experienced, and given significance;
what
these relationships might signify about being human; and
what about
these relationships might be improved for the sake of the individuals as well as the communities concerned.
The
Routledge Handbook of Human-Animal Studies
presents a collection of original essays from artists and scholars who have established themselves internationally on the basis of specific and significant new contributions to human-animal studies.
This international, interdisciplinary handbook will be of interest to students and scholars of human-animal studies, sociology, anthropology, biology, environmental studies, geography, cultural studies, history, philosophy, media studies, gender studies, literature, psychology, ethology, and visual studies.