BLOG |
By Morgan Round Review of Just Like Family: How Companion Animals Joined the Household by Andrea Laurent-Simpson (2021). NYU Press. (298 Pages) This book is about a particular kind of family, the American "Multispecies" family. Andrea Laurent-Simpson illuminates the multispecies family, how common it is today, and how it is constantly growing, not to mention thriving in todays society in the United States. The author discusses the roll of dogs and cats in what she refers to the "multispecies family," where dogs and cats are identified and treated as legitimate members of the household. The Ultimate goal of Just Like Family was to demonstrate how the multispecies family has developed in the context of many different family structures within the United States. Andrea Laurent-Simpson is currently a lecturer in the department of Sociology at Southern Methodist University. She also has written various academic journals over the last 5 years. (2016-2021). Andrea Laurent-Simpson has had her own personal experiences with both a childfree multispecies family and a multispecies family with young children present. In addition to her personal experience, the author conducted her own personal studies, which consisted of personal in-depth interviews and close personal observation with 35 different participants that are owners of dogs and cats. The participants come from a multitude of different family structures. The family structures included traditional two parent groups with young children, single mother/single fathers, singles, empty-nesters, step families, and families without children. The families without children fall into two different groups; the first group chose not to have children and the second group tried having kids with no success. The author also conduced veterinary clinic observations. With all of this evidence, she proves to be a trustworthy and dependable source. This book is organized into 5 different chapters and each chapter covers the different aspects of the multispecies family. Chapter 1 covers and explains what the multispecies family is today and how the multispecies family has evolved since the industrial revolution. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 discuss the different family identities involved with the multispecies families. The different family identities discussed in these chapters consisted of the role humans take on as parents to their companion animals. In chapter 3 and 4, Laurent-Simpson discussed the parent roles that her participants experienced and how their surrounding family verified their own parent identities. Chapter 5 discusses how advertising is also changing to appeal to the multispecies family members. I feel that this book was layed out in a easy to follow, smooth flowing order. One of the themes that stuck out to me was the vast amounts of family dynamics mentioned throughout Just Like Family. Americans today now largely accept many kinds of living arrangements as "family," without one true family form accepted over other family forms. Laurent-Simpson does a fantastic job explaining this new existence of a unique family structure known as the multispecies family. She also does a great job in explaining the various different family identities that the multispecies family can have and how it has only seemed to emerge within the last 50 years in the United States. She dives deep into the personal interviews, explaining what she learned, and describing how each family dynamic functions on a day to day basis. The author describes how increasing family diversity now includes the multispecies family, in which the dog or cat is labeled as an actual family member and is treated as a person would be. Since the industrial revolution things have dramatically changed within our society, such as the control of infectious diseases with antibiotics, sustained standard of living, and innovations in sanitation. Laurent-Simpson adds quotes throughout the book from the many participants she interviewed closely allowing readers to gain personal insight into individuals' point of view on their multispecies family. Identity theory is also a major theme throughout this book. With this new and unique family structure, it requires you, as a reader, to think critically about this dynamic of family. The identities of the multispecies family include statuses such as parent, child, grand-parents, and siblings. Laurent-Simpson shows that the multispecies family is a separate type of family structure, in which, identities that are normally assigned to humans are instead assigned to dogs and cats. Essentially, the multispecies family creates a new, non-traditional definition of family that impact how family can be done. The author states: "Role identities are important because they "give the very meaning to our daily routine . . . [and] largely determine our interpretations of the situations, vents, and other people that we encounter. This information is an important component of any social situation, but the conglomeration of role identities in the family sphere can tell us much about how family relationships are structured." (Andrea Laurent-Simpson; 2021, pg. 63) The author also touches on how these patterns have become widespread enough in the United States in the past few decades to now include dogs and cats as family members, and given the vast family dynamics you encounter may be internalized or assigned based on whatever family dynamic that may be at hand. Another theme that I found interesting was that strategically through the book Laurent-Simpson incorporated photos of the participants and their companion animals. I found this effective in appealing to my emotions and it made me think about my animals involved in my multispecies family. I also thought this was effective, from my perspective, as being a dog owner. In using these pictures it allowed me to relate and see that having animals as family members is a very common occurance. The author incorporated the pictures and in doing so accomplished a feeling of relatability to the individuals that participated in her research. Just Like Family did a great job displaying and explaining all the research she conducted on all of her participants in this book. I feel, Laurent-Simpson had such a vast amount of information from her research that each family structure could not be explained in just one chapter. I think, the vast amount of research done on each family dynamic, it could be enough content for a separate shorter length book on each separate family configuration. Just Like Family is a very well written work. Laurent-Simpson does a great job explaining what the multispecies family is today. She also articulates the many different family dynamics involved in the multispecies family. The author provided mass amounts of research and throughout the book she shows how thorough she was in her research. She incorporates many different scholars and how they offered their advice and expertise throughout the book. As a reader, you are shown throughout the book how common the multispecies family is today in the United States. Also, Laurent-Simpson stresses the importance of identity theory and how we, as a society, have a need to label our specific identity in a family dynamic. This book will make you think about human nature, why some of us feel the need to have companion animals, as well as to realize that not all humans see companion animals as family members, as equals, or as human beings themselves. Just Like Family has made me consider a person's upbringing and incorporate cultural reasons into why someone decides to have a companion animal in their household. This book is a very respectful representation of companion animals and shows how many family dynamics include their companion animals as equals as well as family members. Just Like Family would be highly recommended for college level students, a sociology course, veterinarians and vet techs, anyone that is passionate about human animal relationships(with and without companion animals), and finally anyone pursuing a career involving work with animals. Author Bio: Morgan Round is currently a student at Minnesota State University Mankato, and she has been incarcerated at MCF-Shakopee for 1 year. She Enrolled in this program to utilize her time and earn credentials. She is 23 years old and is from the Rochester, MN area; she is forever grateful for this MNSU opportunity, and plans to continue her education post incarceration. by Chelsea Olinger Review of Elephant by Dan Wylie. 2009. London: Reaktion Books. 205 pages. Elephant by Dan Wylie is all about elephants, as the title would imply. Wylie's purpose of writing this book is to give readers a broad look into the history of elephants. He includes information on the physiology of elephants and the way elephants are represented across the world. Wylie also writes about the many uses of elephants and the conservation of elephants. He ends the book with a timeline of elephants from c. 60 million BC to 1989. Wylie was successful with giving his readers a broad look into elephant history. Thanks to the book I now understand more about elephant and human animal interactions and how most of the time it isn't a positive interaction for the elephants. The book also has me wishing I was in a better position to help with the conservation of elephants. Dan Wylie has previously spent about fifteen years researching and publishing on early Zulu history. He is currently a lecturer in the English department at Rhodes University, Grahamstown in South Africa. Wylie has published multiple books and articles, with subjects including ecology, elephants, poetry, and whales. He is best known for a biography on King Shaka. Wylie used an array of secondary sources in his research for this book. He used books ranging in publication years from 1947 to 2005, multiple websites which he accessed from 2006 to 2008, many different academic journals as well, ranging in publication years from 1991 to 2006, as well as using newspaper and magazine articles as sources. Overall, he used a total of 112 sources, ranging in publication from 61 years prior up until the year of his publication of Elephants. Wylie used a topical approach for the layout of his book. Each of the five chapters in Elephant includes a different topic. Chapter one, "Proboscidae", talks about the origins of the elephant, the elephants ancestors, and the evolution of the proboscidae family. Chapter two, "An Astounding Physiology", discusses elephant anatomy, the family structure, and how elephants communicate. Chapter three, "Representing Elephants", is all about the history of elephants in art; such as elephant rock art, folklore, religious iconography, sculptures, paintings, literary appearances, and contemporary pop culture. Chapter four, "Using Elephants", focuses on the utilization of living elephants, such as being used for wars, logging sites, and human entertainment. Chapter five, "Conservation", discusses the ivory trade, elephant reserves, the effect that locals have on elephants, and the loss of elephant habitats. The layout of this book generally works well. I believe Wylie's choice in doing a topical approach to the book was a good idea. With the history of elephants spanning across such a broad range in time, I don't believe that doing a chronological order would of worked well for this book. I really enjoyed how each chapter covered a specific topic that correlates with elephants. The inclusion of approximately 100 images throughout the book adds to the success of it. Wylie chose smartly where to put the images in his book, so that they corresponded with what was being discussed at the time. The images provide visual information, a look back into history, and make the book beautiful to look at. At times the book was a little drawn out, hard to understand, and confusing. Wylie did include some information that seemed to somewhat drag on, making the book at times a little dense. On a few occasions throughout the book, he would use a word that people may not know, and he'll either not define the word, or wait a few pages to really explain the meaning. Every now and then as you read through the book, you'll come to a part that you'll question why it was included where it was. I believe Wylie could have separated chapter five into two chapters; one chapter about conservation and another about the ivory trade. I expected chapter five to be more about elephant reserves or sanctuaries, but it was filled with so much information about the ivory trade. While Wylie did make it seem like the ivory trade was the reason behind elephants needing to be saved, he did point out that there were other reasons behind the decline of elephants. The book was mostly a success, Wylie informed his readers all about the history of elephants. While there were some parts of the book that dragged on a bit due to an overload of information, Wylie did succeed in informing me about elephants, as I had hoped he would. This book was respectful to non-human animals for the most part. I say for the most part because Wylie did have to at times talk about the hunting, killing, and the use of elephants for human animals' pleasure. Readers wouldn't have gotten a full overview of elephant history though if the negative aspects had been left out. The appropriate audience for the book Elephant, would range anywhere in age from high school students to college students, along with individuals who want to learn more about the history of elephants. Author Bio: Chelsea Olinger, is currently enrolled in MSU Mankato through the Scholars Serving Time program while she is incarcerated at Shakopee Women's Prison. She has loved non-human animals since a young age and has had a variety of companion animals throughout her life. Chelsea's favorite non-human animal is the elephant. She is from Mankato, MN and has two children. Chelsea is currently pursuing her AAS degree. By Amanda Peltier Review of Swamplife: People, Gators, and Mangroves Entangled in the Everglades Laura A. Ogden, Copyright 2011 by Regent's of the University of Minnesota.(185 pages). Swamplife: People, Gators, and Mangroves Entangled in the Everglades (2011) by Laura A. Ogden, lays emphasis on a specific body of concepts regarding the impact that human activities and urbanization have had on plants and nonhuman animals within Florida's Everglades. The author illustrates the story through the perspective of the humans that dwell there, in order to shed light on the positive and negative effects of the human lifestyles on the natural habitats of nonhuman animals. This book allows you, the reader, to recognize the differences in the thoughts and treatment of the ecosystem in the Everglades by the different groups of people who share contrary cultures and social class backgrounds, from the Seminole Native American tribe to the wealthy businessmen who urbanized the Glades. In this excerpt, "Within a relatively brief period, about seventy-five years, southern Florida shifted from a largely rural, agrarian, and undeveloped landscape to one of the largest urban centers in the United States"(18); Ogden provides support to what she believes are the causes that ultimately effect the lives of the nonhuman animals in the area. One begins to ponder questions like: what caused such fast and extreme change? What effects has this quick shift had on the environment and nonhuman animals? Will there continue to be an Everglades? The conjuring of these questions are Ogden's exact purpose for writing this book; to challenge the reader to begin to think critically about the effects that our daily life plays on the many natural wonders of the world and the nonhuman animals that call them home. Laura A. Ogden is an associate professor of anthropology at Florida International University. She has conducted fieldwork in the Florida Everglades for the past decade and is coauthor of Gladesmen: Gator Hunters, Moonshiners, and Skiffers with Glen Simmons. In addition to Laura A. Ogden's extensive fieldwork, she uses a multitude of references. These include, but are not limited to: books, newspaper archives, photographs, government records, and journal articles. Her research was vast and extremely intelligible. The work and the research she put into this subject is evident making it a reliable source of history and knowledge. The main characters in this book are the gladesmen, the alligators, snakes, mangroves, and fire. Normally, I would not consider fire and mangroves to be characters, but Laura Ogden depicts their important roles in a way that assures they are, in fact, characters. Swamplife is written chronologically, beginning in the late 1800's when the value potential of the land was first being discovered. This book than travels through the cultivation, drainage, and development of two-thirds of the Everglades. Gladesmen are the poor rural whites. This book focuses mainly on the outlawed Ashley Gang, who hid out in the Everglades for years evading the law. The Ashley Gang remains a central figure in the mythology of the Everglades almost a hundred years later. Their story is fascinating. The author made a good choice in using their lives to narrate the life of the Everglades, as they are so prominent that at times it is sensed that the Ashley's were born of the Everglades. It's as though they are as much the Everglades as the snakes and gators. When a person thinks of the Everglades, alligators are commonly the first thought. This book covers the conservation, hunting, and protection laws of gators. Laura A. Ogden does a thorough job of describing how, alligator hunting was one of the most reliable sources of income as alligators could be hunted year round rather than seasonally, as is the case for other games animals. Swamplife talks in detail of how laws have been put in place to help conserve the amount of alligators killed for hides. Though methods of conserving alligators shifted over time, very few alligators lives were saved. Ogden discusses how alligator conservation was crucial, in the Everglades, to the visitors expectations and experience of the "exotic" swamp. Also, how game wardens were brought in to police the hunting of alligators, though true arrests were rare. This merely transformed Everglades hunters into poachers. Alligators weren't the only nonhuman animal to mark their territory in the Glades. Fantastic unnaturally large snakes were also very prevalent and equally threatened. Ogden tells the reader that the Everglades are home to at least twenty-five species of snakes, and how enormous snakes lie concealed in the jungles as hunters chop their way through the constant growing and changing roots and branches. She tells how these snakes and the fear they evoke, altered the mobility of settlers, hunters, visiting explorers, and naturalists. Though, nonhuman residences of the Everglades are ever present throughout this book, for the purpose of my reading, I would have liked them to be the central subjects. It was enlightening to learn of the significant roles that mangroves and fire played in the development of the Everglades. Laura A. Ogden talks at length about how mangroves may be thought of as just trees, but the fact is that they are highly mobile and rhyzomatic. They grow freely, covering the land densely. As well as, how fire was used to keep mosquitoes at bay, mark hunters trails and territories, drive animals out of saw grass, to encourage deer to assist in fresh growth, and to make traveling easier in a "hard- walking" landscape, as well as, a tool for hunting until bull's-eye lanterns came to be. Ogden describes how mangroves map the movements of people, nonhuman animals, water, nutrients, sediment, and plant life in the Everglades. She captures the essence that mangroves are the core of the Everglades, the heart. Swamplife ends with details of how humans saw the potential of opportunity in the vastness of the land, therefore, the lands were drained for development. Laura A. Ogden explains how this guided the way for massive changes to Everglades ecology and wildlife. Also, how it had an extensive impact on the nonhuman animals, including the region's famous wading bird populations, which have been reduced by 90 to 95 percent since the predrainage era. Although this is just one of many example of the extreme damage human development had on nonhuman animals in the Everglades, this book could have been more impactful had Ms. Ogden used more examples like this one. If the reduction of population in these particular birds is so devastating, one can only imagine the impact it's had on other nonhuman animals. The phrase that I feel summarized Swamplife: People, Gators, and Mangroves Entangled in the Everglades, brilliantly comes at the end of the book. Ogden states "The concurrent human pressures of market-driven hunting, changing water levels and cycles, and extensive habitat loss intersected at the same time across the same landscape to threaten alligator populations in the Everglades." (150). In this phrase, the author describes the substantial impact humans have had on the ecosystem of the Everglades and how detrimental this has been on the nonhuman population, particularly on alligators. This is a wonderfully educational and inspiring book. It is a marvelous resource for anyone that is interested in the impacts of developing swampland for human use, how it impacts the nonhuman lives that call the swamps home, the ecosystem, and especially the impacts on alligators. This book is filled with phrases, photographs, and stories that, I feel, give life and a society to those marginalized. It encompasses the life of the swamp, the humans, and every nonhuman part of the Everglades. Ms. Ogden brings understanding to what can't be seen through the naked eye and narrow thought processes. I think that due to the elaborate language used in this book, it is appropriate for higher level education students or as a research tool for those interested in the Everglades, the Ashley Gang, or alligator hunting. By Cheryl "Africa" Albert Review of Companion Animals and Domestic Violence Rescuing Me, Rescuing You (234 pages) by Nik Taylor and Heather Fraiser, Palgrave MacMillan (2019) This book is about the very real need for society to recognize animal abuse as domestic violence in order to fulfill the need to establish safe shelters and escape plans that include companion animals alongside their human victims/survivors. The intention of the authors Heather Fraiser and Nik Taylor is to provide a better understanding of human-animal relationships in relation to domestic domination, control, and violation. For the purpose of their study and this book, they focused on the relationship of nine women and their companion animals in an effort to include public support in having very important conversations about domestic violence and animal abuse. Their desire in doing this is to generate a new understanding that allows us to recognize animals as victims of domestic violence, alongside their human counterparts. In addition to this new understanding, the authors intend to show more than just the comfort that humans receive from companion animals, but to also shed light on the interconnectedness between humans, namely females, and animals when they undergo shared experiences of domestic violence and animal abuse. All of their work is to bring attention to the immense healing and recovery that can stem from relationships during abuse and recovery from trauma. This literary work is an exceptional example of the authors deep passion, writing skills and professional expertise. Presently, Nik Taylor is the Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Heather Fraiser is the Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Together, Fraiser and Taylor share an extensive background in studying domestic violence, as well as, child and animal abuse. While Taylor has a more detailed background volunteering in animal shelters and witnessing the outcomes of abuse, both physical and sexual, against animals. Fraiser has spent many years of her career in shelters, working as an advocate with woman and children who've experienced domestic and/or child abuse. They both have written many articles on the subject of animal abuse as domestic violence that are worth reading to further understand their concept. Throughout their literary work, you find that Fraiser and Taylor relied on a magnitude of resources. A vast amount of their ideas and theories are drawn directly from their very own extensive research developed through case studies and projects they conducted of people and their companion animals. One such study from which this book has been derived is their "Loving You, Loving Me" project, where they interviewed nine Australian women who'd previously experienced domestic violence. For the purpose of this study they focused on the relationship these women had with their companion animals during the trauma, the obstacles in escaping trauma with companion animals and healing together or apart from their animals after trauma. You find references from experts in fields that work and/or study domestic violence, animals abuse, animal advocacy, trauma advocacy, shelters, human studies, and so on and so forth. Along with the expanse of knowledge that both Fraiser and Taylor bring with them from their backgrounds educationally and professionally, the quality of information evokes credibility to their argument. This book is categorized into seven chapters that are intricately woven to invoke knowledge, heighten awareness, reveal alternatives, bring forth true empathy, and enlighten the reader to a higher level of understanding of this very real issue. Consider the layout of this book as a journey through the lives of the thousands of nameless women facing these situations and you'll see that the authors did a terrific job of bringing readers from ignorance to revelation and finally to viable solutions. In the chapters of this book there are many important topics, aspects, theories and information that address the benefits of calling awareness to the direct relation of animal abuse to domestic violence, furthermore, the separate cultural ideals becoming one; recognizing animals as domestic violence victims/survivors in their own right. For the purpose of my review, I focus on the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, human-companion animal relations, and the stages of rescue, refuge and recovery. These are themes that I found most eye-opening, though this is not to discredit other aspects of the authors arguments. The main reasoning for the necessity of this study is not to just draw the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, but to further this agenda by assuring that animal abuse is to be considered domestic violence. Throughout this book the authors do a wonderful job of imploring you to think critically about non-human animals, their ability to feel pain, fear, shock, confusion, loyalty, and love but also to feel victimized when subjected to domestic violence. When you consider my last sentence, you should realize that the current and general idea of what domestic violence is understood or defined to be is inadequate when that concept is expanded to include other animals. An intersectional analysis of domestic violence, when extended to non-human species becomes the basis by which we are enabled to view animals as victims of direct abuse, as well as recognize the effects imposed on animals as bystanders of abuse. To focus on only the human aspects of domestic abuse basically implies that other animal species do not experience this violence and therefore are not victims in their own right. In support of this theory the authors cite various sources to provide the statistics that show the widespread effects and existence of domestic violence. While on the other hand, very little in comparison is known or even documented due to a justice system that views animal cruelty and abuse as the lesser crime and human services that are ill equipped to protect all victims/survivors of violence which keep few to no records of the animal abuse they encounter. This is why human-companion animal relations in the context of domestic violence is important and the authors express this explicitly. As a result of their study, the authors recognized that a fraction of women who were in domestically violent situations procrastinated on leaving due to concern for the safety of their companion animals. These animals often become the target of human abusers as a strategic method to control human victims, whose animals have a higher chance of being harmed or even dying in such situations, than the animals of women who have never experienced such violence. Child victims often experience violence as result of their relationships with companion animals. Being forced into positions were the children of abused mothers, feel the need to become the protector and at times the defender of their animals in order to prevent the experience of threats, harm, or death. The authors do suggest that shelters and refuge be provided that will accept nonhuman animals as readily as their human companions, that organizations involved in preparing escape plans consider not only the safety of human victims but also companion animal victims and include them in the plan, and that during the recovery process these organizations and individuals involved with nonhuman animals who've experienced domestic violence recognize that they need support in healing too. In my opinion, readers can easily see how a sense of camaraderie amongst the human and non-human victims/survivors are formed and the roles that they play in the stages of rescue (or escape), refuge, and recovery. The pressure to escape violence is often wrongfully placed on the victims. This is a concept that, I believe, the authors took great care in explaining for those who don't understand the fear that victims of domestic violence face when considering escape. These inaccurately framed concepts that victims can just leave, or must either be too complacent, weak, or ignorant to stand up for themselves and walk away are a very far cry from the truth. Speaking from person all experience, this can be very disheartening to hear for a person trapped in a domestically violent situation. Even after escape, there are short- and long-term effects to adults, children, and animals in homes were domestic violence is occurring. Some of these effects include: "...psychological problems for all human victims/survivors and, for children, increased risk of behavioral and educational problems. (Geffner et al. 2003). Mental and physical health problems, including post-traumatic distress, anxiety, depression, are common, as is substance use as a form of self-medication. (Zlotnick et al. 2006)" (Qtd. in Nik Taylor et al. 2013, pg.34). Homelessness, and unemployment are also prevalent. Finding refuge after escape has proven to be dangerous when appropriate help can be out of reach, fear of speaking up about abuse due to fear of being found out and retaliated against is present, and the availability of shelter for companion animals is few and far between or nonexistent all together. In conclusion, it is my opinion that this book is well written, the authors accurately articulate their arguments for the benefits of redefining domestic violence to be inclusive of all species and the importance of cross-species camaraderie between victims/survivors. The authors are well versed in their fields and research, they utilize their knowledge along with reputable experts, and use references to support their claims and arguments. The use of the individual stories of real people in domestically violent relationships with their companion animals makes the writing very real and even relatable for those who've been in similar situations. In that, as a reader, with a similar background it was easy to recognizes the emotions, decisions, and struggles present when deciding whether to escape violence with a companion animal. Furthermore, as a reader, from the beginning to end of this book you are confronted with concepts, ideas, and scenarios that require you to think critically about the plight of non-human animals as domestic violence victims. This requires you to think out of the box that society often implies a victim of domestic violence "looks like". This allows you to consider non-human animals as equals. This is a respectful representation in that you must take away the ideas of property or commodity and look to the animal as a person in their own right. One who is able to endure the same processes of emotions, pain, and recovery as oneself. This book would be highly recommended for a sociology course, persons working in human and/or animal shelters, crisis centers, trauma response teams, domestic and/or child abuse advocates, and honestly, anyone who needs an enlightened and heightened awareness of the true scope of domestic violence, how it correlates with animal abuse, and how it effects both human and animals victims/survivors in the home. Lastly, I recommend that if you are someone who has been in a domestically abusive relationship, or have been witness to such violence, take caution as you read this book. Though the authors do a great job preparing readers for parts that may be triggering, be sure to be gracious to yourself, reach out to someone you can talk to, and/or give yourself more time to heal before reading this book. Author Bio: Cheryl "Africa" Albert attends Minnesota State University Mankato by way of Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee. She is of Nigerian descent, hence the nickname "Africa", where she attended a girls Catholic boarding school in small jungle like village called Ijebu Itele in Ogun State, Nigeria. On many nights, Africa often found comfort late at night sitting silently listening to the calls of the animals since she was so far from home and family. She strongly believes in educating her mind in order to better herself and her community. By Amanda Peltier "How would you feel if separated from your family, you were shipped to different cities in a cage no less, bound of life, with pain/pleasure techniques, and complete humility for performance under duress, a whip no less. If you were a tiger would you do it? Would you break away, think of escape and if desperate, kill and avow your infinite humiliation and guaranteed death? Do you do it now as a human?" This is an excerpt from Display Performance and Sport, an article we read in Animals and Society. These words wouldn't have hit home the way they did had I not been in the circumstance I find myself in. I have been incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility- Shakopee since May of 2014. Had I taken this class outside of this setting, having never had the experience of imprisonment, I wouldn't have the power to reach the depth of empathy that I currently have for nonhuman animals.
Animals and Society is a course that explores the relationship between humans and nonhuman animals. Students learn vital perspectives in the field of human-animal studies and will explore a range of topics that are relevant to nonhuman animals in our society. Through dialogue and journaling, students will discover their own perspectives on nonhumans and how humans relate to them. Reading and writing assignments will also provide students the opportunity to question their own perspectives and the perspectives of others. Growing up in the country surrounded by woods, fields, and on a large lake, inspired a great love and respect of nature and nonhuman animals. When one coexists with nature, there is little fear of animals, including insects and snakes. They are a part of your everyday life. You learn from a young age the important roles that each has on the environment. Bees, birds, and butterflies pollinate, spiders eat mosquitoes and other pesky bugs, and humans use up natural resources. That we are as animal, as nonhuman animals. In my first year of college, long before my incarceration, I focused my studies on psychology and sociology, so this class wasn't a far stretch from my life or my interests. Taking this class in this environment, however, gives it a whole new experience. Focusing on my education now is easier and more important. I don't have to have a job, I can't attend social gatherings, and I have zero responsibilities. This is a very different scenario from my other college experiences. On the other hand, there were some class activities I wish I could have experienced, such as the six-day vegan challenge that our on-campus students do. The extreme concern of security complicated our ability to receive the full experience of the class, but we were able to be flexible and creative. Outside of the classroom, being a felon has a stigma of being a failure, irresponsible, and untrustworthy; thus, making my educational success additionally crucial. I know what it is to be viewed as an animal and to be treated like one. Being ripped from my family and the surroundings that brought me peace and comfort. Becoming bound of life, existing to not exist, and being publicly humiliated, gave me a greater understanding of what nonhuman animals think and feel. On the television series Yellowstone, a character says "People like to think we ain't animals, like we've evolved or some shit. You learn quickly in prison that we haven't. Forget lions, snakes, and shit; we are the worst kind of animals, the most evil." I don't think this line is just about inmates, it's about all humans. What other species on this planet cages and binds other animals, even their own species, without a second thought? As if that isn't enough, we find entertainment in it. Lions, tigers, and elephants in the circus bring us family entertainment. Zebras, primates, and giraffes help us educate our children in the zoo's while we are thoroughly entertained. Orcas, dolphins, and seals put on shows for us in aquariums. Other humans, their trauma, and poor choices bring us mesmerizing news stories and television shows. Is this what being evolved looks like? Animals, both human and nonhuman, are adaptable. They, or should I say we, will change and evolve to our surroundings. If you cage an animal they will be affected negatively. If you hunt an animal they will go into fight or flight mode. If you kill or capture an animal, many others will be affected. None are perfect. All have choices to make, some will be good and others will be bad choices. All animals have families, relationships, feelings, thoughts, and emotions. All animals are both predator and prey. We as humans fall into all these categories, just as do nonhuman animals. It is from a prison cell, or cage, that realization of this is heightened. It is there that you clearly see other perspectives and that there are so many better options. It is there that you fully embrace the helplessness of nonhuman animals. Where your helplessness and theirs become one. True empathy is easier to fully obtain when one has walked in the shoes of another. What are we really teaching our children about animals when they aren't in their natural habitat? What is so entertaining about watching other animals suffer? Why do we find enjoyment in others pain? Why do we feel it appropriate to cage, harm, or cast away those that make mistakes? Do we care what vulnerable situation animals were in, to end up in captivity, both human and nonhuman? Why don't we do something to change the way we treat animals? Being in captivity, helpless, with no voice puts me in a position to fully understand what nonhuman animals experience at the hands of humans. There is a minimal amount of stimulation in prison, so I try to take every opportunity I can to maintain my mental and emotional health. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to receive continued education. This class felt as though I had a voice; if only for a semester and through the eyes of other species, I was heard. This opportunity through MSU Mankato, shows me that I matter. That there are people that are willing to take the first steps for change. That there is still hope in humanity. What steps will you take today to make a positive change? Author Bio: Amanda Peltier is a student at Minnesota State University Mankato, while incarcerated on a 30 year to life sentence at Minnesota Correctional Facility- Shakopee. Amanda, a mother of four, is from a small farming town in west central Minnesota, where she has enjoyed being with nature and nonhuman animals of all kinds. She has a passion for psychology and sociology, as well as, prison reform. |
ABOUT
This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|