Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak
This article argues that a fusion of critical animal studies and postcolonial critique affords food systems scholars a richer understanding of Western media narratives regarding a “bushmeat problem” during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. To do so, I perform a rhetorical analysis of expert, journalistic, an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Communication |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.656431/full |
| _version_ | 1819090516672774144 |
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| author | S. Marek Muller |
| author_facet | S. Marek Muller |
| author_sort | S. Marek Muller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article argues that a fusion of critical animal studies and postcolonial critique affords food systems scholars a richer understanding of Western media narratives regarding a “bushmeat problem” during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. To do so, I perform a rhetorical analysis of expert, journalistic, and editorial texts disseminated through outlets with high economic and/or social capital in North American and Western European countries. My analysis demonstrates three overarching themes in these texts regarding the intersections of bushmeat and Ebola, which I describe as: 1) biosecurity; 2) conservation; and 3) development. By invoking an ethic of anti-speciesism and decoloniality, I not only demonstrate the colonial logics at play in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, but also name an insidious ideology fundamental to food systems discourse in postcolonial contexts: carnistic colonialism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:25:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bf0f928aa81405f8f5c6e64ce846aa4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-900X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:25:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bf0f928aa81405f8f5c6e64ce846aa42022-12-21T18:48:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2021-05-01610.3389/fcomm.2021.656431656431Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola OutbreakS. Marek MullerThis article argues that a fusion of critical animal studies and postcolonial critique affords food systems scholars a richer understanding of Western media narratives regarding a “bushmeat problem” during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. To do so, I perform a rhetorical analysis of expert, journalistic, and editorial texts disseminated through outlets with high economic and/or social capital in North American and Western European countries. My analysis demonstrates three overarching themes in these texts regarding the intersections of bushmeat and Ebola, which I describe as: 1) biosecurity; 2) conservation; and 3) development. By invoking an ethic of anti-speciesism and decoloniality, I not only demonstrate the colonial logics at play in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, but also name an insidious ideology fundamental to food systems discourse in postcolonial contexts: carnistic colonialism.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.656431/fullEbolabushmeatcritical animal studiespostcolonialcarnismrhetoric |
| spellingShingle | S. Marek Muller Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak Frontiers in Communication Ebola bushmeat critical animal studies postcolonial carnism rhetoric |
| title | Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak |
| title_full | Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak |
| title_fullStr | Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak |
| title_short | Carnistic Colonialism: A Rhetorical Dissection of “Bushmeat” in the 2014 Ebola Outbreak |
| title_sort | carnistic colonialism a rhetorical dissection of bushmeat in the 2014 ebola outbreak |
| topic | Ebola bushmeat critical animal studies postcolonial carnism rhetoric |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.656431/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smarekmuller carnisticcolonialismarhetoricaldissectionofbushmeatinthe2014ebolaoutbreak |