Specialization Animals and Society

Animals are so important to human existence that it is difficult to imagine the entity we call "society" without them. They play an important role in our language, food, clothing, family structure, economics, education, entertainment, science, recreation, and other areas of social life. In this specialization, we will explore a range of topics, many of which are controversial. Although this is a sociology course, the field of human-animal studies is interdisciplinary. Many of the suggested readings are from fields outside sociology, but this specialization emphasizes their sociological significance throughout the course. Applied learning project This specialization is ideal for those working in animal welfare, including animal shelters, veterinary medicine, training, rehabilitation, and animal control. This specialization is also great for those interested in deepening their knowledge of how people and society treat animals, from common pets to livestock, captive animals, and animals in the wild.