Exploring human-animal relations

Supervisors:

• Tobias Nowak
• Esther Scheele

The relationship between humans and animals is a paradoxical one. It is both constant and ever changing.

Throughout human history this relationship has foremost been one with an anthropocentric approach. Whereas the relationship once started as a very singular one, animals as a food source, over time it developed into a much more diverse and complicated range of interactions. Humans use animals as a resource and for companionship, as labor and for medical research; humans provide them with shelter, care and legal protection; and they dedicate not a small amount of their paintings, sculptures, music, literature and movies to them. Numerous academic disciplines study the social, political, legal, ethical, agricultural, economic or biological questions of human-animal relations.

In this project we will focus on past, present and future human-animal relations.

Disciplines of the social and natural sciences and the humanities will help us generate insights into the human condition and will let us study a wide range of issues, such as social movements and political mobilization, the legal status of animals, animal welfare and sustainable development. You are going to take on the role of an interdisciplinary expert group that is asked to advise on human – animal relations. Exploring selected aspects of this relationship over time in specialized teams will allow the group to identify and share reoccurring, topics, problems and solutions.

The team will present its findings in a research report and by organizing an interactive event on project day. The selection of topics will be done by the students and all the research will be student-driven.