Humans and Other Animals Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Human-Animal Interactions

Humans and Other Animals is about the myriad and evolving ways in which humans and animals interact, and the divergent cultural constructions of '¬Ühumanity'¬" and '¬Üanimality'¬" found around the world. Hurn explores the work of anthropologists and highlights case studies from a wide range of cultural contexts, inviting readers to engage with a diverse range of human-animal interactions including blood sports (such as hunting, fishing, shooting and bull fighting), pet keeping and '¬Üpetishism'¬", eco-tourism and wildlife conservation, working animals and animals as food. The idea of animal '¬Üexploitation'¬" raised by the animal rights movements is assessed, as well as the anthropological implications of changing attitudes towards non-human animal '¬Üpersonhood'¬". Key anthropological debates surrounding these issues are raised and discussed and in the process, readers are encouraged to consider their own attitudes towards other animals and, by extension, what it means to be human.

Samantha Hurn is Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David where she convenes an award-winning MA programme in Anthrozoology.