Course Description
Animals play a number of significant and diverse roles worldwide. This course will cover the interdisciplinary field of anthrozoology, or the study of human-animal interactions and the human-animal bond. The historical, cultural, scientific, and economic roles of animals in human societies in the United States and worldwide will be discussed.
Athena Title
Animals in Society
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will introduce students to key areas of anthrozoology, or the study of human-animal interactions and the human-animal bond. Students will learn how animals are utilized in human societies both in the United States and worldwide. This course will focus primarily on human interactions with companion animals such as dogs, cats, and horses, but the roles/uses of animals implicated for agriculture use such as cows, pigs, and sheep will also be discussed. Students will gain a global perspective of the commonalities and differences of human-animal social and cultural practices. This course will provide cross-cultural comparisons of human-animal relationships including the domestication of animals for human use, ancient and modern pet-keeping, the contribution of animals in human health, animal-assisted interventions, the emotional/relational bonds between humans and animals, animals as food, and the role of animals in medical research. Students will also learn how to evaluate primary literature in the field of anthrozoology. This course will highlight potential career paths for students interested in working with/studying animals. Student Learning Outcomes In this course, students will: • Examine the use of animals historically and cross-culturally. • Identify the implications of human-animal interactions, human-animal relationships, and the human-animal bond. • Understand the reasons for, and implications of, domestication of animal species across human history. • Explore how factors such as anthropomorphism contributed to modern-day pet keeping. • Appreciate the complex roles that pets play in modern societies. • Analyze the scope and significance of animal use in human societies and the controversies it creates. • Critically assess the cultural significance of animals in different types of societies. • Examine how social values, attitudes, and views of animals have changed over time. • Understand the concept of animal-facilitated activities, their benefits, and uses in human health. • Examine the global importance and implications of animals used as food. • Examine the cross-cultural views regarding the use of animals for meat and the type of animals that people choose to eat. • Understand the role of animals used in laboratory research, how they contribute to human health, and the ethical issues surrounding their use. • Find, critically evaluate, and apply scientific information about animals, the use of animals, and the controversial issues that arise. • Develop a new and informed perspective on human-animal interactions.
Topical Outline
I. Anthrozoology A. The history of anthrozoology B. Overview of major anthrozoologic topics C. Human-animal interactions, human-animal relationships, human-animal bond II. Domestication of Animals A. Domestication of Pets i. Dogs ii. Cats iii. Horses B. Domestication of Animals for Agriculture i. Cows ii. Goats iii. Pigs iv. Sheep v. Chickens III. Factors Influencing Human-Animal Relations A. Anthropocentrism B. Anthropomorphism C. Speciesism IV. Pet Keeping A. How Humans Think About Animals i. Evolutionary psychology ii. The human brain B. Why Humans Keep Pets i. Social obligation ii. Emotional benefits C. Types of Pets Across Cultures D. Negatives of Pet Keeping V. Historical Uses and Views of Animals A. Historical Uses of Animals B. Changing Attitudes and View of Animals C. Animals as Fashion Trends, Symbols, Status D. Animals and Religion VI. Benefits of Association with Animals A. Humane Education i. Empathy for animals ii. Empathy for humans B. Physical/Medical Health Benefits i. Cardiovascular health ii. Allergies iii. Chronic pain C. Psychological Benefits i. Companionship ii. Social engagement iii. Relationships iv. Self-esteem D. Animal Assisted Interventions i. Service animals ii. Therapy animals iii. Global animal-assisted intervention initiatives iv. Research in animal-assisted interventions VII. The human-animal bond A. Types of Companion Animals B. Companion Animals as Family C. Companion Animals and Attachment D. Companion Animals and Grief VIII. Animals as Food A. Traditional Food Animals i. Intensification of animal production ii. Global impact/importance of food animals B. Differing World Views of “Food” Animals C. Food Animal Welfare/Ethical Considerations IX. Animals in research A. Animals used as Pre-Clinical Models B. Types of Animal Models C. Contributions of Animal Research to Human Health/Safety D. Applying the 3Rs E. Ethical Considerations of Using Animals for Research
Syllabus