Human-animal studies

Human-animal studies is an emerging inter-disciplinary research field that seeks to understand the relationship between humans and non-human animals and to explore issues in a variety of scientific, social scientific and humanistic areas. Areas of study include the evolution of domestication of wild animals into pets, how animals are represented in human culture through myths, stories and artistic representations such as the Lascaux paintings (through anthropology, art history, literature and other humanities disciplines), and how the human-animal bond can be used, for instance, in medicine (dogs are brought into hospitals to comfort the sick).

Journals in the field include Society & Animals and Journal for Critical Animal Studies.