An attempt of a transdisciplinary approach to the subject of animal’s mourning. Reflections about the death of animals – between scholarship and personal experience

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31261/ZOOPHILOLOGICA.2019.05.13

Keywords:

animals’ grief, animals’ emotions, anthropomorphism, behaviorism

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the dilemmas that researchers may face, combining more than one research perspective. We are starting from sociological or ethnological research that focus on the stories of animals’ caregivers after the animal experiencing death of a companion. They are anthropomorphic and close to the urban legends. Although correct from the point of view of social research, they do not take into account the biological and psychological context. Examining the experience of mourning animals other than human requires giving a voice to those who will not answer researchers’ questions. However, having a wider perspective and trying to do transdisciplinary science, it becomes a duty to take into account even such knowledge, which will be inconsistent with the current research results. Another problem arises when trying to combine these points of view in such a way as not to alienate the respondents or researchers and at the same time get the most probable version of reality.

Author Biography

Łucja Lange, University of Lodz

Łucja Lange – mgr, doktorantka w Katedrze Socjologii Kultury Instytutu Socjologii Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego oraz na kierunku Humanistyka Cyfrowa Instytutu Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk. Absolwentka teatrologii (2004) i etnologii (2015). Bada doświadczenie żałoby po dzieciach i sposoby opisywania doświadczenia choroby terminalnej. Zajmuje się też tematami bezdomności i marginalizacji (zarówno ludzi, jak i zwierząt). Jej zainteresowania naukowe skupiają się na kwestiach różnorodności, gender studies, animal studies oraz antropologii zmysłów i fenomenologicznym ujmowaniu ludzkiego doświadczenia. Jest autorką książki Antropolog jako audytor wewnętrzny (Łódź 2016) oraz współredaktorką i wydawczynią e-książek Bezdomność w Łodzi (2016), Mieszkanie i dom jako nieoczywistość kulturowo-społeczna (2017). Psycholożka zwierząt, konserwatorka, fotograficzka, redaktorka naczelna internetowego magazynu sztuki (Mega*Zine Lost&Found). W przeszłości księgowa i audytorka wewnętrzna.

References

Bekoff Marc. 2010. O zakochanych psach i zazdrosnych małpach. Emocjonalne życie zwierząt. Przekład: Stasińska-Buczak Marta. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Znak.

Bowlby John. 2007. Przywiązanie. Przekład: Polaszewska-Nicke Magdalena. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Howard Jule. (2018) The „grieving” orca mother? Projecting emotions on animals is a sad mistake, „The Guardian”, wydanie internetowe 14.08.2018: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/14/grieving-orca-mother-emotions-animals-mistake?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other (dostęp: 31.08.2018).

King Barbara J. 2013. How Animals Grieve. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

King Barbara J. 2018. Jak zwierzęta przeżywają żałobę. Przekład: Kozłowski Krzysztof. Lutynia: Wydawnictwo Purana.

Konigsberg Ruth Davis. 2011. The Truth About Grief. The Myth of Its Five Stages and the New Science of Loss. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Thomas Louis-Vincent. 1991. Trup. Od biologii do antropologii. Przekład: Kocjan Krzysztof. Łódź:Wydawnictwo Łódzkie.

STRONY AUTORSKIE

Howard Jule: https://www.juleshoward.co.uk/about-me (dostęp: 31.08.2018).

King Barbara J.: http://www.barbarajking.com/about/ (dostęp: 31.08.2018).

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Published

2019-12-25

How to Cite

Lange, Łucja. (2019). An attempt of a transdisciplinary approach to the subject of animal’s mourning. Reflections about the death of animals – between scholarship and personal experience. Zoophilologica. Polish Journal of Animal Studies, (5), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.31261/ZOOPHILOLOGICA.2019.05.13

Issue

No. 5 (2019): Zoophilologica - T.5 (2019) - Tanatos

Section

ARTICLES

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