Kinship with Animals

Question 1

What has been the shift in pet keeping?

Answer 1

From function to affection

Question 2

What is the contradiction?

Answer 2

Between affection shown to pets and animal welfare of industrial society

Question 3

What does pet keeping challenge?

Answer 3

The species barrier

Midgley 1994 - the ‘anti-human’

Question 4

How many pets in the UK?

Answer 4

51m
45% of households
Doubled in 60 years

Question 5

Who says pets to ‘companion animals’?

Answer 5

Franklin, 1999

Irvine, 2004

Question 6

Tipper says pets are increasingly seen as…

Answer 6

kin. 2008.

Question 7

Pet economy

Answer 7

UK pet owners spent £5.4b on pet products and services in 2012
E.g. Kennels, Vets, Pet shops

Question 8

Herzog?

Answer 8

1/2 of dog owners see them as family - 2010

Question 9

Ritvo?

Answer 9

Shift from function to pleasure

Question 10

When did pets become a feature of MC households?

Answer 10

c16th and c17th

Question 11

How do pets differ from other animals?

Answer 11

• Live indoors
• Have names
• Not eaten

Question 12

Thomas?

Answer 12

Pets are 
- company for lonely
- relaxation for tired
- compensation for childless
(1984)

Question 13

Effects of pet keeping?

Answer 13

Changed how people view the human-animal divide.

Question 14

Other factors?

Answer 14

Gender (linked to domination and taming of nature)

Class (only recently has WC joined)

Question 15

What is the moral ambiguity of pet keeping?

Answer 15

Contradiction of one set of animals treated as kin, whilst the other is exploited for food and experimented upon

Question 16

Serpell 1996?

Answer 16

Pet keeping encircled by prejudice and misunderstanding. 1996

Question 17

Fox?

Answer 17

Pets occupy ‘liminal position’ on boundary of human and animal (2006)

Question 18

Who discusses power and domination?

Answer 18

TAUN 1984

Question 19

What does Taun argue?

Answer 19

• Relationship characterised by dominance and affection.
  Dominance - affection = animal.
  Dominance + affection = pet.
• Innocence of pet keeping now tarnished by power
• Power and domination manifest in different ways

Question 20

Irvine

Answer 20

Pet keeping undermines viewing of animals as ‘other’ (2001)

Question 21

How do pets become family?

Answer 21

• cohabitation
• replacement for family members
• companionship
• women more easily accept
• type of pet influences this
• more you interact and longer it lives

Question 22

Why can’t a human be both human and animal?

Answer 22

IRREPLACEABILITY.

There will always be an unspoken superiority and inequality between humans and animals.

Question 23

How do we dominate pets?

Answer 23

Just having a pet is a form of domination. Even if you care for them. (But domination is not automatically cruel)
We punish + discipline animals but they cannot do the same.

Question 24

Stern and Cropper?

Answer 24

• we have always enjoyed companion animals
• romantic view of pets
• domestication intertwined with domination
• historical background - domination, manipulation and abuse
  1998

Question 25

Serpell 1986?

Answer 25

PARADOX - pets vs animals like pigs

1986