Overview

This book provides an insight into the everyday lives and experiences of people who live with dogs as companions; and glimpses aspects of the lives of the dogs who share their homes. It is framed sociologically and as such, considers the various forms of power relations which shape the lives of those kept as ‘pets’ and their human ‘owners’. In recounting stories of companion humans and dogs, the co-constituted quality of life is clear. However, while dogs – as agential beings with needs, desires and a point of view – are able to shape outcomes and change aspects of their lived experience, the world they inhabit is profoundly geared to human inhabitants; and the most privileged ones at that. The book revisits the notion of ‘pet keeping’ as the interplay between domination and affection arguing that these do not exist as a continuum, but a mesh of complex relations played out in the use of homespace, in the kitchen, the bedroom, the in the public world of park and the street. Those living with dog companions, as well as the dogs themselves, find their lives are muddied, both literally and figuratively; boundaries are tested and recast and the complications of inter-species cohabitation negotiated by all parties. Through an innovative theoretical contribution, Cudworth conceptualizes human relations with companion dogs in terms of complex social relations that involve both systemic forms of domination as well as nonhuman agency in shaping social relations and social forms.

Full Product Details

9781538180198

Table of Contents

Reviews

Animal Entanglements will be a valuable asset for researchers exploring human-canine connections and will bring joy to anyone with a fondness for dogs. Its valuable insights hold potential for making the world a better place for dogs and the people dedicated to their well-being. --Leslie Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari University of Venice Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari, University of Venice What is it like to live with a dog? How muddied are you, your house, and your physical and emotional boundaries going to get? How will your food choices, your personal relationships, your work life, be challenged? Who is it that cares for whom? In this warm-hearted and generous book, Erika Cudworth uses multispecies ethnography to explore in detail how the lives of co-habiting dogs and humans are shaped by the environments in which they walk, the spaces in which they live, and the carnism of the pet food industry. It also, critically, asks what kinds of relations dogs and humans can forge together, and what kin and care really mean in practice. Muddied living, Animal Entanglements illustrates, is a complex and ambiguous space that embodies both tension and possibility. This is an important and compelling book that addresses previously unresearched areas of the lives of dogs and the people who live with dogs. In the process, it offers an insightful account of contemporary social life, and an adroit engagement with the theories we use to explain it. --Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Goldsmiths, University of London, author of Dog Politics: Species Stories and the Animal Sciences With innovative research methods and an infectious sociological imagination, Erika Cudworth elegantly analyses humans' multifaceted and muddied relationships with dogs by connecting everyday experiences to fundamental problems in social theory--the relationships between actor and structure, social reproduction and resistance, and nature and culture. --David Redmalm, associate professor in sociology, M�lardalen University Animal Entanglements will be a valuable asset for researchers exploring human-canine connections and will bring joy to anyone with a fondness for dogs. Its valuable insights hold potential for making the world a better place for dogs and the people dedicated to their well-being. --Leslie Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari University of Venice Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

What is it like to live with a dog? How muddied are you, your house, and your physical and emotional boundaries going to get? How will your food choices, your personal relationships, your work life, be challenged? Who is it that cares for whom? In this warm-hearted and generous book, Erika Cudworth uses multispecies ethnography to explore in detail how the lives of co-habiting dogs and humans are shaped by the environments in which they walk, the spaces in which they live, and the carnism of the pet food industry. It also, critically, asks what kinds of relations dogs and humans can forge together, and what kin and care really mean in practice. Muddied living, Animal Entanglements illustrates, is a complex and ambiguous space that embodies both tension and possibility. This is an important and compelling book that addresses previously unresearched areas of the lives of dogs and the people who live with dogs. In the process, it offers an insightful account of contemporary social life, and an adroit engagement with the theories we use to explain it. --Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Goldsmiths, University of London, author of Dog Politics: Species Stories and the Animal Sciences With innovative research methods and an infectious sociological imagination, Erika Cudworth elegantly analyses humans' multifaceted and muddied relationships with dogs by connecting everyday experiences to fundamental problems in social theory--the relationships between actor and structure, social reproduction and resistance, and nature and culture. --David Redmalm, associate professor in sociology, Mälardalen University Animal Entanglements will be a valuable asset for researchers exploring human-canine connections and will bring joy to anyone with a fondness for dogs. Its valuable insights hold potential for making the world a better place for dogs and the people dedicated to their well-being. --Leslie Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari University of Venice Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

What is it like to live with a dog? How muddied are you, your house, and your physical and emotional boundaries going to get? How will your food choices, your personal relationships, your work life, be challenged? Who is it that cares for whom? In this warm-hearted and generous book, Erika Cudworth uses multispecies ethnography to explore in detail how the lives of co-habiting dogs and humans are shaped by the environments in which they walk, the spaces in which they live, and the carnism of the pet food industry. It also, critically, asks what kinds of relations dogs and humans can forge together, and what kin and care really mean in practice. Muddied living, Animal Entanglements illustrates, is a complex and ambiguous space that embodies both tension and possibility. This is an important and compelling book that addresses previously unresearched areas of the lives of dogs and the people who live with dogs. In the process, it offers an insightful account of contemporary social life, and an adroit engagement with the theories we use to explain it. --Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Goldsmiths, University of London, author of Dog Politics: Species Stories and the Animal Sciences With innovative research methods and an infectious sociological imagination, Erika Cudworth elegantly analyses humans' multifaceted and muddied relationships with dogs by connecting everyday experiences to fundamental problems in social theory--the relationships between actor and structure, social reproduction and resistance, and nature and culture. --David Redmalm, associate professor in sociology, M�lardalen University Animal Entanglements will be a valuable asset for researchers exploring human-canine connections and will bring joy to anyone with a fondness for dogs. Its valuable insights hold potential for making the world a better place for dogs and the people dedicated to their well-being. --Leslie Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari University of Venice Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

With innovative research methods and an infectious sociological imagination, Erika Cudworth elegantly analyses humans' multifaceted and muddied relationships with dogs by connecting everyday experiences to fundamental problems in social theory--the relationships between actor and structure, social reproduction and resistance, and nature and culture. --David Redmalm, associate professor in sociology, Mälardalen University Animal Entanglements will be a valuable asset for researchers exploring human-canine connections and will bring joy to anyone with a fondness for dogs. Its valuable insights hold potential for making the world a better place for dogs and the people dedicated to their well-being. --Leslie Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder Animal Entanglements takes us into the messy relationalities between humans and their companion dogs and the everyday constitution of more-than-human life. From a situated embodied perspective and based on multispecies research methods, Cudworth closely follows the practices of multispecies families in the domestic and public space, exploring the ambiguities of their intimacy, and the porous boundaries between power and care of the human-dog bonds. --Federica Maria Giovanna Timeto, Ca'Foscari University of Venice Animal Entanglements nicely shows how difficult it can be for dogs to adapt to, and have high quality lives in, a human-dominated world. Erika Cudworth makes the clear case that dogs are not our best friends, nor are they unconditional lovers--two highly overused and misleading characterizations that often appear in academic and popular media. This well-written and most important book deserves a global audience because when we value the lives of every single individual dog, we also are helping ourselves come to the realization that it is a panoply of shared emotions that function as social glue that draws them to us and us to them. --Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy?and Why They Matter

Author Information

Erika Cudworth is senior lecturer in the School of Applied Social Sciences at De Montfort University. Her interdisciplinary research interests coalesce around complexity and posthumanist approaches, intersectionality and asking feminist questions of our relations with nonhuman animals and the earth. Her previous books include Developing Ecofeminist Theory and Social Lives with Other Animals, and, with Steve Hobden, Posthuman International Relations and The Emancipatory Project of Posthumanism. She has edited many collections, most recently, with Ruth McKie and Di Turgoose, Feminist Animal Studies.

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