The Animal Turn

Nov 18 2024 84 ep. 72 mins 51
The Animal Turn Podcast artwork

Animals are increasingly at the forefront of research questions – Not as shadows to human stories, or as beings we want to understand biologically, or for purely our benefit – but as beings who have histories, stories, and geographies of their own. Each season is set around themes with each episode unpacking a particular animal turn concept and its significance therein. Join Claudia Hirtenfelder as she delves into some of the most important ideas emerging out of this recent turn in scholarship, thinking, and being.

  Science  Society & Culture
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S7E3 - Species Story with Mariam Fraser Motamedi

Nov 18 2024 93 mins  
In this episode Mariam Motamedi-Fraser joins us in the show to discuss ‘species story’ a concept she developed in her book Dog Politics. We discuss how the human-dog bond has been established and maintained through modern day practices and scientific discourses which have implications for how dogs can live. Date Recorded: 31 July 2024. Mariam Motamedi Fraser is an Honorary Seni

S7E2 - Healthy Publics with Melanie Rock and Gwendolyn Blue

Nov 10 2024 112 mins  
Gwendolyn Blue and Melanie Rock join Claudia on the show to discuss ‘healthy publics.’ They explore how the idea of ‘public health’ has persistently been conceived of as human and unpack some of the opportunities and challenges with conceiving of multispecies health. From the historical roots of the ‘One Health’ to the modern challenges of public participation and repre

S7E1: Multispecies Health with Guillem Rubio-Ramon and Krithika Srinivasan

Nov 04 2024 89 mins  
Guillem Rubio-Ramon and Krithika Srinivasan join Claudia to kick of Season 7 which is focused on “multispecies health.” They discuss human-dog relations and how multispecies health involves components of care, indifference and violence. Date Recorded: 7 June 2024. Guillem Rubio-Ramonis a Research Associate in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. His research integrat

Bonus: Exploring Dog Cognition with Alexandra Horowitz

Nov 03 2024 75 mins  
Claudia talks to scientist and author, Alexandra Horowitz about dogs’ cognition. They discuss everything from dogs’ sense of smell and capacity to play to how anthropomorphisms sometimes skew human understandings of what dogs are doing. Date Recorded: 15 August 2024 Alexandra Horowitz heads the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, where she also teaches seminars in canine cogn

Bonus: Kindred Creatures with Monica Murphy and Bill Wasik

Oct 27 2024 78 mins  
Monica Murphy and Bill Wasik join Claudia on the show to talk about their recent book Our Kindred Creatures. They discuss how the late 19th century was a time of immense change for Americans and their relationships with animals became increasingly contradictory. Date Recorded: 15 July 2024 Bill Wasik is the editorial director of The New York Times Magazine. Monica Murphy is a veter

Bonus: Animals in Media

Oct 08 2024 122 mins  
Bonus: Animals in MediaTogether with Arukah Animal International, The Animal Turn co-hosted a panel discussion focused on "Animals in Media". Using a video about animalized hierarchies in contagion films as a prompt, Claire Parkinson, Susan McHugh, and Tobias Linné engaged in an open-ended about media, representation, power, and activism. Date Recorded: 22 May 2024Claire Parkinson

Bonus: The Salmon People Podcast with Sandra Bartlett

Sep 09 2024 63 mins  
Award-winning journalist Sandra Bartlett joins us to uncover the unsettling realities of fish farming in British Columbia with her impactful podcast, "The Salmon People." We discuss some of the social and environmental controversies surrounding salmon farming in Canada including the interconnections between wild and farmed salmon in the region, how sea lice have devastated marine p

Bonus: Creativity with Carol Gigliotti

Aug 25 2024 76 mins  
Using Carol Gigliotti’s book “The Creative Lives of Animals” as a backdrop, this episode explores animals and the creative process. From the artistic intricacies of humpback whales' bubble-net feeding to the sophisticated communication skills of prairie dogs, Carol guides us through a world where animals demonstrate remarkable creativity, highlighting how they make meaning fo

Bonus: Veterinary Ethics and Animal Welfare with Sean Wensley

Aug 12 2024 78 mins  
Using his book Through a Vet’s Eyes as a backdrop, Claudia talks to Sean Wensley about veterinary ethics and animal welfare. They discuss some of Sean’s experiences as a vet as well as some of the challenges vets face in representing animals’ interests. Date Recorded: 20 February 2024 Sean Wensley is Senior Veterinarian for Animal Welfare and Professional Engagement at the UK

S6EB: Problematization with Claudia Hirtenfelder

Jul 29 2024 74 mins  
Over the years Claudia has mentioned her PhD research and journey, in this episode Catherine Oliver takes over as host and interviews Claudia about her research. They dwell on the concept of problematization and why it is important for thinking politically about urban animals. Date Recorded: 3 October 2023 Claudia (Towne) Hirtenfelder is an animal studies geographer and podcast pro