Animals, Self, and Society

This course explores how animals and people are situated within the web of structures and connections known as “society.” Module 1 considers some of the key symbolic roles that animals play in society by investigating the practice of “thinking with animals.” We investigate how people construct different meanings of animals and the implications these meanings have for both animals and humans. You will gain first-hand experience of this by analyzing how animals are represented in the media. Module

• Demonstrate knowledge of animals as symbols and metaphors in media
• Summarize practices enabling human-animal relationships
• Identify key factors leading to animal abuse
• Represent human-wildlife conflict scenarios