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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Animals & society
In this landmark work of animal rights activism, Carol J. Adams -
the bestselling author of The Sexual Politics of Meat - explores
the intersections and common causes of feminism and the defense of
animals. Neither Man Nor Beast explores the common link between
cultural attitudes to women and animals in modern Western culture
that have enabled the systematic exploitation of both. A vivid work
that takes in environmental ethics, theological perspectives and
feminist theory, the Bloomsbury Revelations edition includes a new
foreword by the author and new images illustrating the continuing
relevance of the book today.
Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London tells the remarkable
story of Obaysch the hippopotamus, the first 'star' animal to be
exhibited in the London Zoo. In 1850, a baby hippopotamus arrived
in England, thought to be the first in Europe since the Roman
Empire, and almost certainly the first in Britain since prehistoric
times. Captured near an island in the White Nile, Obaysch was
donated by the viceroy of Egypt in exchange for greyhounds and
deerhounds. His arrival in London was greeted with a wave of
'hippomania', doubling the number of visitors to the Zoological
Gardens almost overnight. Delving into the circumstances of
Obaysch's capture and exhibition, John Simons investigates the
phenomenon of 'star' animals in Victorian Britain against the
backdrop of an expanding British Empire. He shows how the entangled
aims of scientific exploration, commercial ambition, and imperial
expansion shaped the treatment of exotic animals throughout the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Along the way, he
uncovers the strange and moving stories of Obaysch and the other
hippos who joined him in Europe as the trade in zoo animals grew.
'A fascinating microscopic and telescopic look at the life of
Victorian England's most famous animal. John Simons' richly
exhaustive account of nineteenth-century hippomania engages with
imperialism, Orientalism, progress, and the cultural history of
Europe where Obaysch, captured from an island in the Nile River,
had the misfortune to spend his life as a blockbuster attraction at
the London Zoo. Poignant and empathetic, this account of an
animal's appropriation and exploitation is one of those books that
unfurls more about its moment in time than you could have imagined
when you picked it up.' Professor Randy Malamud, Georgia State
University
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Wasp
(Paperback)
Richard Jones
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R438
R358
Discovery Miles 3 580
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Fear and fascination set wasps apart from other insects. Despite
their iconic form and distinctive colours, they are surrounded by
myth and misunderstanding. Often portrayed in cartoon-like
stereotypes bordering on sad parody, wasps have an unwelcome and
undeserved reputation for aggressiveness bordering on vindictive
spite. This mistrust is deep-seated in a human history that has
awarded commercial and spiritual value to other insects, such as
bees, but has failed to recognize any worth in wasps. Leading
entomologist Richard Jones redresses the balance in this
enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural
history of these powerful carnivores. Jones delves into their
complex nesting and colony behavior, their unique caste system and
their major role at the centre of many food webs. Drawing on
up-to-date scientific concepts and featuring many striking colour
illustrations, Jones successfully shows exactly why wasps are
worthy of greater understanding and appreciation.
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Pig
(Paperback)
Brett Mizelle
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R439
R360
Discovery Miles 3 600
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Curly tails, snouts, trotters, 'oinks', mud and unpleasant smells -
these are the cliches of the pig. With their varied roles as
sources of food, as pets and in medical testing, pigs have been
materially and culturally associated with humans for thousands of
years. Today there are more than one billion pigs on the planet,
and there are countless representations of pigs and 'piggishness'
circulating through the cultures of the world. Pig provides a
richly illustrated, compelling look at the long, complicated
relationship between humans and these highly intelligent, sociable
animals. In his insightful book, Brett Mizelle traces the natural
and cultural history of the pig, focusing on the contradictions
between our imaginative representation of pigs and the ways in
which pigs are actually used as meat, experimental material and the
source of hundreds of consumer products. Pig begins with the
evolution of the suidae, animals that were domesticated in many
regions 9,000 years ago, and points toward a future where pigs and
humans are even more closely intertwined thanks to breakthroughs in
biomedical research. Pig also examines the widespread art,
entertainment and literature that has imagined human kinship with
pigs, and the development of modern industrial pork production,
which has removed living pigs from our everyday lives. In charting
how humans have shaped the pig and how the pig has shaped us,
Mizelle focuses on the unresolved contradictions between our
imaginary and lived relations with pigs. Pig will appeal to those
with a love for all things pig and for animals in general.
Gary L. Francione is a law professor and leading philosopher of
animal rights theory. Robert Garner is a political theorist
specializing in the philosophy and politics of animal protection.
Francione maintains that we have no moral justification for using
nonhumans and argues that because animals are property--or economic
commodities--laws or industry practices requiring "humane"
treatment will, as a general matter, fail to provide any meaningful
level of protection. Garner favors a version of animal rights that
focuses on eliminating animal suffering and adopts a protectionist
approach, maintaining that although the traditional animal-welfare
ethic is philosophically flawed, it can contribute strategically to
the achievement of animal-rights ends.
As they spar, Francione and Garner deconstruct the animal
protection movement in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Europe, and elsewhere, discussing the practices of such
organizations as PETA, which joins with McDonald's and other animal
users to "improve" the slaughter of animals. They also examine
American and European laws and campaigns from both the rights and
welfare perspectives, identifying weaknesses and strengths that
give shape to future legislation and action.
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Deer and People
(Paperback)
Karis Baker, Ruth Carden, Richard Madgwick
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R1,396
R1,251
Discovery Miles 12 510
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Deer have been central to human cultures throughout time and space:
whether as staples to hunter-gatherers, icons of Empire, or the
focus of sport. Their social and economic importance has seen some
species transported across continents, transforming landscape as
they went with the establishment of menageries and park. The
fortunes of other species have been less auspicious, some becoming
extirpated, or being in threat of extinction, due to pressures of
over-hunting and/or human-instigated environmental change. In spite
of their diverse, deep-rooted and long standing relations with
human societies, no multi-disciplinary volume of research on
cervids has until now been produced. This volume draws together
research on deer from wide-ranging disciplines and in so doing
substantially advances our broader understanding of human-deer
relationships in the past and the present. Themes include species
dispersal, exploitation patterns, symbolic significance, material
culture and art, effects on the landscape and management. The
temporal span of research ranges from the Pleistocene to the modern
day and covers Europe, North America and Asia. Papers derived from
international conferences held at the University of Lincoln and in
Paris.
Because of their enormous size, elephants have long been
irresistible for kings as symbols of their eminence. In early
civilizations - such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Civilization,
and China - kings used elephants for royal sacrifice, spectacular
hunts, public display of live captives, or the conspicuous
consumption of ivory - all of them tending toward the elephant's
extinction. The kings of India, however, as Thomas R Trautmann
shows in this study, found a use for elephants that actually helped
preserve their habitat and numbers in the wild: war. Trautmann
traces the history of the war elephant in India and the spread of
the institution to the West-where elephants took part in some of
the greatest wars of antiquity - and Southeast Asia (but not China,
significantly), a history that spans 3,000 years and a considerable
part of the globe, from Spain to Java. He shows that because
elephants eat such massive quantities of food, it was uneconomic to
raise them from birth. Rather, in a unique form of domestication,
Indian kings captured wild adults and trained them, one by one,
through millennia. Kings were thus compelled to protect wild
elephants from hunters and elephant forests from being cut down. By
taking a wide-angle view of human-elephant relations, Trautmann
throws into relief the structure of India's environmental history
and the reasons for the persistence of wild elephants in its
forests.
A major revision of animal rights bible Striking at the Roots,
referencing changes from the last 10 years including the rise of
social media, which is now a key part of any campaign. The book
brings together the most effective tactics for speaking out for
animal rights. Activists from around the globe explain why their
models of activism have been successful - and how you can become
involved. Concise and full of practical examples and resources,
this manual for success demonstrates how many of the world's most
engaged activists effectively speak to the public, lobby
policymakers, and deal with law enforcement - all while keeping
their eyes on the prize of achieving victories for animals. This
book will empower you to make the most of your skills. From simple
leafleting to taking direct action, each chapter clearly explains
where to begin, what to expect, and how to ensure your message is
heard.
From Jack London to Aldo Leopold's "fierce green fire," wolves have
been a central part of the American image. Many have even suggested
that our national symbol, the bald eagle, be replaced with this
noble creature who, like us, raises a family and is bold and loyal
in protecting the pack. Brenda Peterson blends science, history,
and memoir to dramatize the epic battle to restore wolves and thus
the landscape and ecology of the continent. From the vicious
exterminations carried out by pioneers and settlers; to the
internationally celebrated triumph of the return of wolves to
Yellowstone; to backlash, politics, and near-daily news of
successful reintroductions, this is perhaps the most inspiring
conservation story of our time. Brenda's central characters are two
famous wolves: the powerful and prolific female "067," restored to
Yellowstone only to be "legally" murdered, and Journey, a
near-miraculous transcontinental survivor. Along with these are the
scientists, ranchers, and activists who are fighting against fear,
politics, greed, and scientific ignorance to bring wild wolves home
to keep our environment whole.
The relationship between humans and animals has always been strong,
symbiotic and complicated. Animals, real and fictional, have been a
mainstay in the arts and entertainment, figuring prominently in
literature, film, television, social media, and live performances.
Increasingly, though, people are anthropomorphizing animals,
assigning them humanoid roles, tasks and identities. At the same
time, humans, such as members of the furry culture or college
mascots, find pleasure in adopting animal identities and
characteristics. This is the first book of its kind to explore
these growing phenomena across media. The contributors to this book
represent various disciplines in the arts, humanities and
healthcare. Their essays demonstrate the various ways that human
and animal lives are intertwined and constantly evolving.
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