British Animal Studies Network (BASN)
Description
The British Animal Studies Network (BASN) was established due to the increasing number of researchers investigating human-animal relations from diverse humanities and social sciences disciplines across the UK and further afield. This interdisciplinary approach significantly enhanced the breadth of individual fields of study. In addition, collaboration with non-academic sectors such as NGOs and museums was acknowledged as mutually beneficial.
Despite the growing prevalence of animal-related academic conferences, these brief encounters were deemed insufficient for fostering long-term discussions and collaborations. Similarly, edited collections and special journal issues, despite gathering diverse disciplines, failed to facilitate dialogues between different essays - a crucial element for the further development of animal studies as an academic field.
This necessity for interdisciplinary work arises from the multifaceted presence of animals in human lives: as labourers, scientific subjects, story characters, images, companions, and food. Therefore, the analysis of human-animal relations - the main focus of animal studies - requires a cross-disciplinary approach. For instance, a literary scholar's work is enriched not only by understanding their primary material's genre, but also by current biological and philosophical concepts; an anthropologist's work benefits from primary cultural research and a diverse range of ideas from theology to zoology.
Regular interaction with peers from different disciplines has always been invaluable in animal studies. The BASN provides a formalised platform for such interactions.
Offers funding
No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.
Contact details
G1 1XQ
United Kingdom
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Type
Project Tags
University affiliation(s)
University of Strathclyde
16 Richmond St
Glasgow
G1 1XQ
Last modified:
2023-09-20 13:57:35