Human-animal relationships PhD programs anyone?

[Ilikekitties]

Specifically human perceptions of and interactions with livestock and companion animals. I'm interested in how these categories are defined, constructed, and also what makes certain animals edible or non-edible and what makes them suitable for companionship. My geographical area of interest, if I needed one, would be Latin America.

So far I am interested in people from UVA, Columbia, Toronto, Washington, The New School, McGill, Santa Cruz, Davis, UIUC is particularly interesting, and Yale has someone who might be a match. However, these schools have at the most two people who do cultural animal work in anthropology, so I don't know of any departments that I would fit.

I'm kind of frustrated because the vast majority of people I've read are from the UK, and I don't think that it would be feasible to leave the US, let alone go to Canada. I've used AnthroSource to search for faculty, but it seems like my interests just aren't that popular.

I will apply in the fall....gah Idk if I can do this.

[smg]

Animal studies is bigger in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; it's true.  However it is not impossible to study human-animal relations in the US. It looks like you have a reasonable list of schools. I'd start checking out other departments at those schools to see if they have folks doing interesting research.  Animals are big in the humanities right now so Literature and History departments are worth looking at.  You'll also want to be more specific then livestock or companion animals in Latin America. Also, you are not just looking for faculty who do work with animals, you are looking for faculty who share areas of study as well as theoretical approaches. I managed to get into two programs with an SOP that specifically discusses an animal related project so feel free to hit me up if you have any questions as your applying.

[Ilikekitties]

Thanks!

[Ilikekitties]

Also, I'll clarify: I'm interested in an anthropology PhD program.

[smg]

Also, I'll clarify: I'm interested in an anthropology PhD program.

 

For animal studies you'll want to be able and prepared to work interdisciplinary.

[rising_star]

You might want to consider Kara Wentworth at UCSD. She's quoted in this blog post you might find of interest, CostaRita: http://culanth.org/fieldsights/642-writing-power-story-why-and-how-to-do-ethnography-of-non-human-beings-and-things

[Nanolol]

Dear OP: I just sent you a message about a program you might be interested in

[Nanolol]

Animal studies is bigger in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; it's true.  However it is not impossible to study human-animal relations in the US. It looks like you have a reasonable list of schools. I'd start checking out other departments at those schools to see if they have folks doing interesting research.  Animals are big in the humanities right now so Literature and History departments are worth looking at.  You'll also want to be more specific then livestock or companion animals in Latin America. Also, you are not just looking for faculty who do work with animals, you are looking for faculty who share areas of study as well as theoretical approaches. I managed to get into two programs with an SOP that specifically discusses an animal related project so feel free to hit me up if you have any questions as your applying.

 

Also, you might try to hit up veterinary colleges. That's where I'm headed this September to do my PhD project on human attitudes and perspectives on companion animal health.

[Ilikekitties]

My prof sent me a link to Tufts' vet program, but I'd need 2 semesters of bio for that. I have not taken any college-level science or math.

[rising_star]

Have you considered Michigan State? http://www.animalstudies.msu.edu/

[Ilikekitties]

^I have. My profs are urging me to apply to programs outside of anthro. The thing with animal studies at MSU though is that it is not a program in itself, but something that supplements a program. I'm not sure about that, but I'm open to it...

[Nanolol]

What about Calgary U? Dr. Melanie Rock is an anthropologist interested in human-animal studies

http://www.ucalgary.ca/communityhealthsciences/dr-melanie-rock-supervisor-profile

[rising_star]

You might want to look at some of the people publishing in the new journal Politics and Animals. 

[Ilikekitties]

Okay, thanks!

[phdthoughts]

Hi all -

I'm really glad I stumbled across this thread. I am also searching for programs that share my interests in human-animal studies, but from a communications perspective. I did my master's thesis on a related topic, and I'd like to continue and expand on this theme. This is not yet looked at in my field as deeply as others, and so it's been challenging to find faculty and programs that share this interest. I'm looking at universities that have a vet school as as well, including MSU. I'm curious to know if anyone has any other ideas or schools that do similar research. 

[zooarchanthropy]

Stick to Anthro--there are a lot of us interested in human-animal relationships. Having two people in your department with immediately relevant interests is more than a lot of people get. Think about recruiting an outside committee member, perhaps from Canada or Europe, if you don't want to go to them. There's some interesting work done by zooarchaeologists recently--I'd look at Russell and Sykes, in particular for discussions of companion animals in the past and human-animal relationships in general.

[DancinFool]

What you describe sounds exactly like the work of Eduardo Kohn, who I believe is at the forefront of this field. And he works in Latin America to boot! Grab a copy of "How Forests Think" and see if that's what you're looking for. 

Edited January 12, 2016 by DancinFool

[Ilikekitties]

 

On January 12, 2016 at 0:48 AM, DancinFool said:

What you describe sounds exactly like the work of Eduardo Kohn, who I believe is at the forefront of this field. And he works in Latin America to boot! Grab a copy of "How Forests Think" and see if that's what you're looking for. 

^ I did apply to McGill. Long shot if I get in!

[ndhorst]

On 6/2/2015 at 2:10 PM, Peanut said:

Specifically human perceptions of and interactions with livestock and companion animals. I'm interested in how these categories are defined, constructed, and also what makes certain animals edible or non-edible and what makes them suitable for companionship. My geographical area of interest, if I needed one, would be Latin America.

So far I am interested in people from UVA, Columbia, Toronto, Washington, The New School, McGill, Santa Cruz, Davis, UIUC is particularly interesting, and Yale has someone who might be a match. However, these schools have at the most two people who do cultural animal work in anthropology, so I don't know of any departments that I would fit.

I'm kind of frustrated because the vast majority of people I've read are from the UK, and I don't think that it would be feasible to leave the US, let alone go to Canada. I've used AnthroSource to search for faculty, but it seems like my interests just aren't that popular.

I will apply in the fall....gah Idk if I can do this.

This might be a little late for this application cycle, but you might be interested in Jeff Hoelle's work? http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/people/jeffrey-hoelle He came to speak at the Yale Agrarian Studies Colloquium last week, his current work is looking more deeply into human-cattle relationships.

[Ilikekitties]

I actually applied and got rejected to UCSB