Connie Johnston - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Connie Johnston
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and highlight the importance of examining these interconnections. Alphabetical entries illustrate key relationships, concepts, practices, and animal species. The book concludes with a comprehensive appendix of select excerpts from key primary source documents relating to animals and a glossary.
Geography Compass, Feb 1, 2013
In the US and Europe, factory farm animal welfare has become a matter of significant public conce... more In the US and Europe, factory farm animal welfare has become a matter of significant public concern, leading to increased scientific research on animal welfare in order to guide public policy. In both locations, scientific opinion is growing that farm animals' welfare is directly related to their capacities for subjective experiences and, as a result, increased research is on cognition, behavior, and emotions. The geography of science and animal geography literatures have broadly examined, respectively but with overlap, the social construction of scientific knowledge and ideas about animal subjectivity. This article argues that these literatures should be further employed to better understand the current construction and social negotiation of the concept of farm animal welfare in Europe and particularly in the US, specifically through the exploration of three significant spaces of knowledge production: the geopolitical environments of the US and Europe, the particular scientific research spaces, and animal spaces or the ''locations'' of their subjectivity.
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and hi...
Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and highlight the importance of examining these interconnections. Alphabetical entries illustrate key relationships, concepts, practices, and animal species. The book concludes with a comprehensive appendix of select excerpts from key primary source documents relating to animals and a glossary. Features Includes excerpts from 20 primary source documents related to animals Offers a comprehensive look at a variety of aspects of human-animal relationships Discusses how human actions affect the survival of other species, such as the northern spotted owl and bluefin tuna
We cannot separate the role of language and discourse from social attitudes toward non-humans. Th... more We cannot separate the role of language and discourse from social attitudes toward non-humans. This is not an inherently new observation, but with this paper I would like to suggest viewing the connection between language and human-animal ethics in terms of three linked manifestations, classified as follows: users of language, definitions, and available vocabulary within the dominant discourse. “Users of language” refers both to the dominance of English (and its attendant cultural perspectives) in the worldwide scientific community, and also to the importance of animal communication and language studies in ethical arguments. “Definitions” relates to how concepts like “mind,” “consciousness,” or “culture” are contested and defined with respect to non-humans. Additionally, the defining of terms such as “pain,” “distress,” and even the term “animal” itself is debated. All of these terms are important in ethical arguments. Finally, “available vocabulary” indicates limitations imposed on...
Beginning in the mid-20th century, farm animal welfare can be seen as rising on a broad scale of ... more Beginning in the mid-20th century, farm animal welfare can be seen as rising on a broad scale of policy and societal importance in the US and Europe, as advocacy groups have campaigned for the animals’ protection, the public has expressed growing concern over their conditions, and legislation has been increasingly enacted to regulate their treatment. US and European governments have long supported scientific research that regards the animals as production units, but more recently also as beings that can subjectively experience good or poor welfare. This paper contends that these activities can be seen as enrolling farm animals into political processes, thereby imbuing them with a type of implicit or emergent political subjectivity. Further, governmental support of research can be seen as a manifestation of the Foucauldian concept of bio-power, as managing large populations of industrially-farmed animals for production requires not only knowledge of their physiologies, but also, as p...
Humanities in the Twenty-First Century, 2013
What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e hum... more What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e humanities in higher education and in wider society today? As a social scientist — a geographer in the nature-society tradition (described below) — how do I and others in my field engage with the humanities?
Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article ... more Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article explores the role of language in human-animal relations and human-animal ethics.
Climate Change Ethics and the Non-Human World
Humanities in the Twenty-First Century, 2013
What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e hum... more What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e humanities in higher education and in wider society today? As a social scientist — a geographer in the nature-society tradition (described below) — how do I and others in my field engage with the humanities?
Carnets de géographes
La revue Carnets de géographes est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Com... more La revue Carnets de géographes est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Commons Attribution-Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale-Pas de Modification 4.0 International.
In the US and Europe, animal welfare is a term that can conjure thoughts of, on one end of the sp... more In the US and Europe, animal welfare is a term that can conjure thoughts of, on one end of the spectrum, broadly appealing ideas of “rescuing” typical companion species from inhumane conditions and, on the other, of often contentious political and public opinion battles over legislating what can and cannot be done to certain species in scientific laboratories and on industrial farms. Implicit in the term “animal welfare” is some level of presumed understanding of a particular animal’s or species’ needs. The ways in which we humans come to understand other animals are various, and in Western societies, science often plays a role. Our understandings also have as their foundations our ontological conceptualizations of ourselves as beings in relation to the rest of the world which, again in Western societies, can contain at least an implicit dualism of human society and non-human nature. Political ecology scholarship often challenges hegemonic epistemologies and dualistic thinking. Thou...
Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article ... more Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article explores the role of language in human-animal relations and human-animal ethics. The author examines several ways in which two linked manifestations of language—definitions and available vocabulary with a dominant discourse—aid in the production of linguistic or discursive borders between humans and other animals. Definitions of words such as “culture” or “cruelty” shape, among other things, our perceptions of animals as more or less like ourselves and what we consider reasonable to be done to them. Western scientific processes contribute to the vocabulary that is available to make legitimate knowledge claims about animals. Lyotard proposes the concept of “the social bond” that is created between humans through their everyday language and makes a distinction between this everyday language and scientific language. Using the examples presented in the article, the author contends that Weste...
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and highlight the importance of examining these interconnections. Alphabetical entries illustrate key relationships, concepts, practices, and animal species. The book concludes with a comprehensive appendix of select excerpts from key primary source documents relating to animals and a glossary.
Geography Compass, Feb 1, 2013
In the US and Europe, factory farm animal welfare has become a matter of significant public conce... more In the US and Europe, factory farm animal welfare has become a matter of significant public concern, leading to increased scientific research on animal welfare in order to guide public policy. In both locations, scientific opinion is growing that farm animals' welfare is directly related to their capacities for subjective experiences and, as a result, increased research is on cognition, behavior, and emotions. The geography of science and animal geography literatures have broadly examined, respectively but with overlap, the social construction of scientific knowledge and ideas about animal subjectivity. This article argues that these literatures should be further employed to better understand the current construction and social negotiation of the concept of farm animal welfare in Europe and particularly in the US, specifically through the exploration of three significant spaces of knowledge production: the geopolitical environments of the US and Europe, the particular scientific research spaces, and animal spaces or the ''locations'' of their subjectivity.
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and hi...
Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022
An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st centu... more An engaging and at times sobering look at the coexistence of humans and animals in the 21st century and how their sometimes disparate needs affect environments, politics, economies, and culture worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand human-animal interactions and relations as we become increasingly aware of our devastating impact on the natural resources needed for the survival of all animal species. This timely reference explores such topics as climate change and biodiversity, the impact of animal domestication and industrial farming on local and global ecosystems, and the impact of human consumption of wild species for food, entertainment, medicine, and social status. This volume also explores the role of pets in our lives, advocacy movements on behalf of animals, and the role of animals in art and media culture. Authors Julie Urbanik and Connie L. Johnston introduce the concept of animal geography, present different aspects of human-animal relationships worldwide, and highlight the importance of examining these interconnections. Alphabetical entries illustrate key relationships, concepts, practices, and animal species. The book concludes with a comprehensive appendix of select excerpts from key primary source documents relating to animals and a glossary. Features Includes excerpts from 20 primary source documents related to animals Offers a comprehensive look at a variety of aspects of human-animal relationships Discusses how human actions affect the survival of other species, such as the northern spotted owl and bluefin tuna
We cannot separate the role of language and discourse from social attitudes toward non-humans. Th... more We cannot separate the role of language and discourse from social attitudes toward non-humans. This is not an inherently new observation, but with this paper I would like to suggest viewing the connection between language and human-animal ethics in terms of three linked manifestations, classified as follows: users of language, definitions, and available vocabulary within the dominant discourse. “Users of language” refers both to the dominance of English (and its attendant cultural perspectives) in the worldwide scientific community, and also to the importance of animal communication and language studies in ethical arguments. “Definitions” relates to how concepts like “mind,” “consciousness,” or “culture” are contested and defined with respect to non-humans. Additionally, the defining of terms such as “pain,” “distress,” and even the term “animal” itself is debated. All of these terms are important in ethical arguments. Finally, “available vocabulary” indicates limitations imposed on...
Beginning in the mid-20th century, farm animal welfare can be seen as rising on a broad scale of ... more Beginning in the mid-20th century, farm animal welfare can be seen as rising on a broad scale of policy and societal importance in the US and Europe, as advocacy groups have campaigned for the animals’ protection, the public has expressed growing concern over their conditions, and legislation has been increasingly enacted to regulate their treatment. US and European governments have long supported scientific research that regards the animals as production units, but more recently also as beings that can subjectively experience good or poor welfare. This paper contends that these activities can be seen as enrolling farm animals into political processes, thereby imbuing them with a type of implicit or emergent political subjectivity. Further, governmental support of research can be seen as a manifestation of the Foucauldian concept of bio-power, as managing large populations of industrially-farmed animals for production requires not only knowledge of their physiologies, but also, as p...
Humanities in the Twenty-First Century, 2013
What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e hum... more What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e humanities in higher education and in wider society today? As a social scientist — a geographer in the nature-society tradition (described below) — how do I and others in my field engage with the humanities?
Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article ... more Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article explores the role of language in human-animal relations and human-animal ethics.
Climate Change Ethics and the Non-Human World
Humanities in the Twenty-First Century, 2013
What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e hum... more What are the relevance, the purpose, and the role of the broad disciplinary construct of th e humanities in higher education and in wider society today? As a social scientist — a geographer in the nature-society tradition (described below) — how do I and others in my field engage with the humanities?
Carnets de géographes
La revue Carnets de géographes est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Com... more La revue Carnets de géographes est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Commons Attribution-Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale-Pas de Modification 4.0 International.
In the US and Europe, animal welfare is a term that can conjure thoughts of, on one end of the sp... more In the US and Europe, animal welfare is a term that can conjure thoughts of, on one end of the spectrum, broadly appealing ideas of “rescuing” typical companion species from inhumane conditions and, on the other, of often contentious political and public opinion battles over legislating what can and cannot be done to certain species in scientific laboratories and on industrial farms. Implicit in the term “animal welfare” is some level of presumed understanding of a particular animal’s or species’ needs. The ways in which we humans come to understand other animals are various, and in Western societies, science often plays a role. Our understandings also have as their foundations our ontological conceptualizations of ourselves as beings in relation to the rest of the world which, again in Western societies, can contain at least an implicit dualism of human society and non-human nature. Political ecology scholarship often challenges hegemonic epistemologies and dualistic thinking. Thou...
Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article ... more Drawing on analyses of scientific knowledge and language from Foucault and Lyotard, this article explores the role of language in human-animal relations and human-animal ethics. The author examines several ways in which two linked manifestations of language—definitions and available vocabulary with a dominant discourse—aid in the production of linguistic or discursive borders between humans and other animals. Definitions of words such as “culture” or “cruelty” shape, among other things, our perceptions of animals as more or less like ourselves and what we consider reasonable to be done to them. Western scientific processes contribute to the vocabulary that is available to make legitimate knowledge claims about animals. Lyotard proposes the concept of “the social bond” that is created between humans through their everyday language and makes a distinction between this everyday language and scientific language. Using the examples presented in the article, the author contends that Weste...