The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication
Animal stereotypes are used to describe, circumscribe and label people. They also serve to negotiate what counts as familiar and what is expelled as foreign. This article explores the composition of animal stereotypes and examines why they continue to influence the way humans understand themselves....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Philosophies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/1/3 |
| _version_ | 1797297200476192768 |
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| author | Laurin Mackowitz |
| author_facet | Laurin Mackowitz |
| author_sort | Laurin Mackowitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Animal stereotypes are used to describe, circumscribe and label people. They also serve to negotiate what counts as familiar and what is expelled as foreign. This article explores the composition of animal stereotypes and examines why they continue to influence the way humans understand themselves. Referring to dehumanising language in contemporary political discourse, anthropological theories of mimicry and representation as well as ethnological observations of human–animal relations, this article argues that if animals are regarded as intelligent and compassionate rather than irrational or violent, the debasing intent of animal stereotypes fails. While a deeper understanding of the mutual dependence of humans, non-humans and their environment is of academic and social interest alike, the projection of images of oneself onto animal others only highlights certain features, whilst leaving others in the dark. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:16:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-621cd29f98304fbb882128b4fe89b64d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:16:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj.art-621cd29f98304fbb882128b4fe89b64d2024-02-23T15:31:28ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872023-12-0191310.3390/philosophies9010003The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and DomesticationLaurin Mackowitz0Department of Philosophy, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, AustriaAnimal stereotypes are used to describe, circumscribe and label people. They also serve to negotiate what counts as familiar and what is expelled as foreign. This article explores the composition of animal stereotypes and examines why they continue to influence the way humans understand themselves. Referring to dehumanising language in contemporary political discourse, anthropological theories of mimicry and representation as well as ethnological observations of human–animal relations, this article argues that if animals are regarded as intelligent and compassionate rather than irrational or violent, the debasing intent of animal stereotypes fails. While a deeper understanding of the mutual dependence of humans, non-humans and their environment is of academic and social interest alike, the projection of images of oneself onto animal others only highlights certain features, whilst leaving others in the dark.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/1/3human–animal studiesidentity formationdomesticationco-evolutionposthumanism |
| spellingShingle | Laurin Mackowitz The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication Philosophies human–animal studies identity formation domestication co-evolution posthumanism |
| title | The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication |
| title_full | The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication |
| title_fullStr | The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication |
| title_full_unstemmed | The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication |
| title_short | The People and Their Animal Other: Representation, Mimicry and Domestication |
| title_sort | people and their animal other representation mimicry and domestication |
| topic | human–animal studies identity formation domestication co-evolution posthumanism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/1/3 |
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