Human and animals relations are basic to society; across all walks of life and in all cultures humans and animals have formed diverse and enduring relationships, and animals have long been used to tell us about what it means to be human. This subject will explore historical, cross cultural and contemporary anthropological perspectives on human and animal relations in small scale societies, in agriculture, in industrialised societies and in leisure culture. In doing so, it will investigate themes such as totemism, animal utility, animal companionship, endangered animals, the human/animal divide and post-humanism.

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