CFP - Minding Animals Conference

The Animals and Society (Australia) Study Group
and
The University of Newcastle
present

The 2009 International Academic and Community Conference on Animals and Society

Minding Animals

 We invite you to join us between 13 and 18 July, 2009, at Civic Precinct,

Newcastle, Australia

Proposals are invited for panel presentations on zoos and zoo culture, to be part of the ‘Minding Animals’ conference. The conference has six major themes and objectives:

• To reassess the relationship between the animal and environmental movements in light of climate change and other jointly-held threats and concerns

• To examine how humans identify and represent nonhuman animals in art, literature, music, science, and in the media and on film

• How, throughout history, the objectification of nonhuman animals and nature in science and society, religion and philosophy, has led to the abuse of nonhuman animals and how this has since been interpreted and evaluated

• To examine how the lives of humans and companion and domesticated nonhuman animals are intertwined, and how science, human and veterinary medicine utilise these important connections

• How the study of animals and society can better inform both the scientific study of animals and community activism and advocacy

• How science and community activism and advocacy can inform the study of nonhuman animals and society

Historically, capturing and keeping wild animals in zoos and cognate institutions has been an integral aspect of these issues. We would like to examine practical and theoretical dimensions of zoos and zoo culture in the context of the conference’s themes and objectives.

Possible topics for papers include, but are not limited to:

Zoos and species preservation

Zoos and heritage

Zoos and conservation

Zoo design and architecture

Zoos and ecology

Zoos and education

Zoos and empire

Zoos and animal rights

Zoos and children’s literature

Zoos and film

Zoos and science

Zoos and the public realm

Zoos and fiction

Zoos and traditional knowledge

Suggestions for topics are welcome.

For the panels on zoos and zoo cultures, please send expressions of interest and/or a proposed paper title and 250-word abstract to the panel convenor: Jamie.Scott@newcastle.edu.au

Deadline for panel submissions: 15 January, 2009

For full information on ‘Minding Animals,’ please see the conference website: http://www.mindinganimals.com

Please note, if you become a member of a panel, you will still need to lodge your abstract separately on the conference website by 30 January, 2009.

We look forward to seeing you in Newcastle!