Posthuman Community in the Edgelands

Date

2017-07-20

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

1063-1119

Volume Title

Publisher

Brill

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

This paper draws on a study of companion animals in human households and public spaces, deploying material gained by ethnographic observation and interviews with dog walkers in urban and rural contexts. The communities which are the subject of this study frequent public places that might be described as ‘edgeland’ space where dogs and ‘dog people’ meet. The paper argues that the relationships between cross-species packs of people and dogs develop over time in the routine practice of walking are micro-communities inclusive of both dogs and their human companions. It is suggested that these might be understood as posthuman social forms with particular characteristics of inclusivity, diversity and reconstitution. Human members of such communities are also invested in, and defensive, of edgeland spaces and engaged in practices of care for both human and canine walkers.

Description

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Keywords

community, companion animals, dog walking, human-animal relations, posthumanism

Citation

Cudworth, E. (2017) Posthuman Community in the Edgelands. Society and Animals, 25 (4), pp. 384-403.

Rights

Research Institute