Human-animal studies (HAS) represents an important research tool for understanding human culture by revealing the complexity of animal-human interfaces. It offers a fresh critical perspective on the history of the interaction between humans and animals. Recognizing the deep influence animality has on the human realm, HAS can help in broadening our knowledge about human beings, seen not as an alien species with respect to nature but as an interacting part of it. Overall, by discussing the intersections of human and nonhuman animals in society, HAS offers the opportunity to expand humans’ views regarding other living beings, while helping humanity to understand its relationships with nonhuman animals and to work out the implications of those relationships. Hence the importance of bringing the discipline of human-animal studies into the realm of scholarly inquiry and the educational system. However, there is some evidence of a lack of HAS instruction in European academic curricula, particularly in the provision of programmes and curricula by faculties of veterinary medicine. Based on this premise, the Authors have investigated the state of HAS in the curricula and teaching programmes offered by European faculties of veterinary medicine, in order to assess the trend in the field. Furthermore, for the purpose of completing the framework, the project Cibo: la vita condivisa (‘Food: shared life’), an innovative cycle of Summer Schools designed to enhance teaching and debating activities in the field of HAS within academia, is presented. In their conclusion, the Authors argue that the format of this project is a pioneering instrument to incorporate this subject in veterinary curricula, from which new specific courses and other forms of educational offerings on the issue might be developed.

Filling the gap: teaching human-animal studies in European vet departments / P. Fossati, A. Massaro - In: Professionals in food chains / [a cura di] S. Springer, H. Grimm. - Prima edizione. - [s.l] : Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2018. - ISBN 9789086863211. - pp. 323-328 (( Intervento presentato al 14. convegno Professionals in food chains. Ethics, roles and responsibilities tenutosi a Wien nel 2018 [10.3920/978-90-8686-869-8_50].

Filling the gap: teaching human-animal studies in European vet departments

P. Fossati
Primo
;
2018

Abstract

Human-animal studies (HAS) represents an important research tool for understanding human culture by revealing the complexity of animal-human interfaces. It offers a fresh critical perspective on the history of the interaction between humans and animals. Recognizing the deep influence animality has on the human realm, HAS can help in broadening our knowledge about human beings, seen not as an alien species with respect to nature but as an interacting part of it. Overall, by discussing the intersections of human and nonhuman animals in society, HAS offers the opportunity to expand humans’ views regarding other living beings, while helping humanity to understand its relationships with nonhuman animals and to work out the implications of those relationships. Hence the importance of bringing the discipline of human-animal studies into the realm of scholarly inquiry and the educational system. However, there is some evidence of a lack of HAS instruction in European academic curricula, particularly in the provision of programmes and curricula by faculties of veterinary medicine. Based on this premise, the Authors have investigated the state of HAS in the curricula and teaching programmes offered by European faculties of veterinary medicine, in order to assess the trend in the field. Furthermore, for the purpose of completing the framework, the project Cibo: la vita condivisa (‘Food: shared life’), an innovative cycle of Summer Schools designed to enhance teaching and debating activities in the field of HAS within academia, is presented. In their conclusion, the Authors argue that the format of this project is a pioneering instrument to incorporate this subject in veterinary curricula, from which new specific courses and other forms of educational offerings on the issue might be developed.
human-animal relations; educational offering; veterinary studies; European universities; Italian universities
Settore VET/08 - Clinica Medica Veterinaria
2018
EurSafe – European Society of Agricultural and Food Ethics
Messerli Research Institute
Messerli Foundation
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
University of Vienna
Wageningen Academic Publisher
Ministry of Health and Women's Affair
Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Stadt Wien
Austrian Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons
NÖ TIERGESUNDHEITSDIENST
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/581250
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