Animals and Modern Cultures : A Sociology of Human-Animal Relations in Modernity

The Dramatic Transformation Of Relationships Between Humans And Animals In The 20th Century Are Investigated In This Fascinating And Accessible Book. At The Beginning Of This Century These Relationships Were Dominated By Human Needs And Interests, Modernization Was A Project Which Was Attached To The Goal Of Progress And Animals Were Merely Resources To Be Used On The Path Towards Human Fulfilment. As The Century Comes To An End These Relationships Are Increasingly Being Subjected To Criticism. We Are Now Urged To Be More Sensitive And Compassionate To Animal Needs And Interests. This Book Focuses On Social Change And Animals, It Is Concerned With How Humans Relate To Animals And How This Has Changed And Why. Moreover, It Highlights, Through Chapters On Companion Animals, Hunting And Fishing, Animal Leisures Such As Birdwatching And Wildlife Parks, And The Meat And Livestock Industries, How Attitudes And Practices Towards Animals Vary Widely According To Social Class, Ethnicity, Gender, Region And Nation. The dramatic transformation of relationships between humans and animals in the 20th century are investigated in this fascinating and accessible book. At the beginning of this century these relationships were dominated by human needs and interests, modernization was a project which was attached to the goal of progress and animals were merely resources to be used on the path towards human fulfilment. These relationships are increasingly being subjected to criticism and a new field of interest in human-animal relationships has opened up. We are now urged to be more sensitive and compassionate to animal needs and interests, to understand their mindedness and how their lives and ours are entangled. This book focuses on social change and animals, it is concerned with how humans relate to animals and how this has changed and why. Moreover, it highlights, through chapters on companion animals, hunting and fishing, animal leisures such as birdwatching and wildlife parks, and the meat and livestock industries, how attitudes and practices towards animals vary widely according to social class, ethnicity, gender, region and nation. Animals and Modern Cultures investigates the dramatic transformation of relationships between humans and animals in the twentieth century. In the early part of the century these were based on a categorical distinction between humans and animals, where animals were still largely a resource for human progress. At the close of the century that distinction and the subordination of animals is being seriously questioned. The book demonstrates that changing relationships with animals can only make sense by relating them to key aspects of social and cultural change. It is not focused on how humans should act towards animals; rather it is concerned with how humans relate to animals and how this has changed and why. Key changes are related to the moral crisis of humanity resulting from a breakdown of the modern world order. Moreover, it highlights, through chapters on companion animals, hunting and fishing, animal leisure's such as bird watching and wildlife parks, meat ad livestock industries, how attitudes and practices towards animals vary widely according to social class, ethnicity, gender, region and nation Animals and Modern Culture investigates the dramatic transformation of relationships between humans and animals in the 20th century. The book, focusing on social change and animals, is concerned with how humans relate to animals and how this has changed and why