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Furry Families: Ethical Entanglements Through More-than-Human Domestic Dramas

Author

Listed:
  • Janet Sayers

    (Massey University (Palmerston North), New Zealand)

  • Rachel Forrest

    (Eastern Institute of Technology, New Zealand)

  • Maria Pearson

    (Eastern Institute of Technology, New Zealand)

Abstract

Companion animals (CA) are seen as part of the family by their human guardians. However, guardians’ intense attitudes towards CA can lead to tensions with larger society. Recent scholarship has argued for more critical work exploring interspecies family relations. The present research is framed by previous scholarship exploring CA family relations and the role that storytelling about animals plays in developing ethical relations with animals. We examine 369 stories told by guardians of companion animals as part of a One Welfare study examining attitudes to companion animal welfare. Our analytical frame was a genre discourse approach sensitive to questions of animal ethics. Our theoretical contribution is to contribute a new sub-genre of domestic drama, more-than-human domestic drama. We explore the implications of this genre of family stories and why it matters beyond families to wider society.

Suggested Citation

  • Janet Sayers & Rachel Forrest & Maria Pearson, 2023. "Furry Families: Ethical Entanglements Through More-than-Human Domestic Dramas," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 28(2), pages 540-557, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:28:y:2023:i:2:p:540-557
    DOI: 10.1177/13607804211064913
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nickie Charles & Charlotte Aull Davies, 2008. "My Family and Other Animals[1]: Pets as Kin," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 13(5), pages 13-26, September.
    2. Nik Taylor & Tania Signal, 2008. "Throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater: Towards a Sociology of the Human-Animal Abuse ‘Link’?," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 13(1), pages 43-53, January.
    3. Nickie Charles, 2016. "Post-Human Families? Dog-Human Relations in the Domestic Sphere," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 21(3), pages 83-94, August.
    4. Jacqui Gabb, 2011. "Family Lives and Relational Living: Taking Account of Otherness," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(4), pages 141-150, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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