Human Perceptions & (Mis)Representation of Other Animals

Keywords: Symbolic Interactionism, Power Words, Post-humanism, Absent Referent, Cognitive Dissonance

  1. Overview
  2. Peer-reviewed publications
  3. ‘Power Words’ and why language maters
  4. Presentations
  5. Podcasts
  6. Co-authors & collaborators

Overview

This ‘project’ is more a collection of side-projects that represent an overarching interest in how humans (Homo sapiens) relate to and talk about other animals. How other-than-human animals are portrayed in the media, marketing, and conservation, and what this might means for more-than-human animals?

Peer-reviewed publications

K. Hill, M. Szydlowski, S. Oxley Heaney, D. Busby (2022). Uncivilized behaviors: how humans wield “feral” to assert power (and control) over other species. Society & Animals, 31(7), 907-925. DOI: 10.1163/15685306-bja10088

M. Szydlowski, K. Hill, S. Oxley Heaney, J. Hooper. (2022). Domestication and domination: human language as a tool for controlling animal bodies. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 8, 32-55. DOI: 10.23984/fjhas.110388

J. Hooper, T. Aiello, K. Hill (2022). Portrayals of Animals in Covid-19 News Media. Anthrozoös, 35(2), 237-257. DOI: 10.1080/08927936.2021.1974703

S. Oxley Heaney, K. Hill, M. Szydlowski, J. Hooper, T. Aiello. (2022). Members Only? A posthuman view of otherthanhuman-animal immigrants across human-defined borders. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 8, 56-81. DOI: 10.23984/fjhas.110811

T. Warda, T. Aiello, K. Hill (2022). Nonhuman Animals as Symbols in the #BlackLivesMatter Protests of 2020. Society & Animals, 31(5-6), 825-843. DOI: 10.1163/15685306-bja10116

K. Hill (2021). Animal-themed tattoo narratives: Insights into ontological perspectives. Anthrozoös. 34(4), 579-596. DOI: 10.1080/08927936.2021.1914441

K. Hill (2021). Happy Hens or Healthy Eggs – A Summative Content Analysis Of How Hens Are Represented In Supermarket Egg Boxes Narratives. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 7(1), 70-94. DOI: 10.23984/fjhas.98684

See here for a full list of my publications.

Back to top

‘Power Words’ and why language maters

Coming soon…

Back to top

Presentations

In 2021 Jes Hooper presented our project ‘Portrayals of Animals in Covid-19 News Media’ at the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2021 Conference. Now published in Anthrozoös (Hooper et al. 2022).

Back to top

Podcasts

We continue our discussion of ‘feral’ on Episode 22 of The Anthrozoology Podcast, building upon our paper ‘Uncivilized behaviors: how humans wield “feral” to assert power (and control) over other species’ (Hill et al. 2022).

A discussion of ‘Animals as Immigrants’ on Episode 5 of The Anthrozoology Podcast led to our paper ‘Members Only? A posthuman view of otherthanhuman-animal immigrants across human-defined borders.’ (Oxley Heaney et al. 2022)

A discussion of Domestication on Episode 2 of The Anthrozoology Podcast led to our paper ‘Domestication and domination: human language as a tool for controlling animal bodies’ (Szydlowski et al. 2022)

Back to top

Co-authors & collaborators

Sarah Oxley Heaney is an Anthrozoology PhD candidate at the University of Exeter. Her doctoral project ‘Kissing Sharks’, is based upon examining unique, intimate shark-human relationships through posthuman and symbolic interactionist lenses. The founder of a volunteer street-living animal charity in Saudi Arabia, Sarah continues her activist-researcher approach to study feline lives in Saudi Arabia. Read more: www.kissingsharks.com. 

Michelle Szydlowski earned her PhD in Anthrozoology from the University of Exeter in 2021. She has spent the last eight years teaching at colleges and universities, and currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor with Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. She has been ‘commuting’ to Nepal for more than a decade, building relationships with stakeholders of multiple species, supporting non-profits, and conducting research. Michelle especially loves large, grey animals that eat lots of vegetables. Read more: https://internationalelephants.org/

Jes Hooper earned her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Exeter in 2024 and is founder of The Civet Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of civets used in coffee production. Jes is also co-founder of Emerging Voices for Animals in Tourism (EVAT).

Tom Aiello is a professor of History and African American studies at Valdosta State University in Georgia, USA. He is the author of more than twenty books and dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles. Tom also writes about the relationship between humans and animals, in particular the role of speciesism and human supremacy in creating vulnerabilities for nonhuman animals. Dr. Dr. Aiello holds two doctorates: his first PhD was in History and Africana studies, and more recently he earned a PhD in Anthrozoology. Read more: https://www.thomasaiellobooks.com/

Back to top

Leave a comment