Animals, Health and Healing
| Module title | Animals, Health and Healing |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANTM101 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Alexander Badman-King (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MODULE IS ONLY AVAILABLE VIA DISTANCE-LEARNING.
In this module you will tackle a wide range of human interactions with nonhuman animals which occur in the fields of science and medicine. Nonhuman animals are used extensively in the testing of a wide range of human drugs, but can also be seen to have a therapeutic effect on humans in their own right outside of the laboratory. Due to our close proximity to other animals the issue of zoonotic diseases, i.e. pathogens which can be transmitted across the species barrier, has become particularly pressing, and is another fertile field of anthropological and anthrozoological investigation. Finally, we will consider what is referred to as 'ethnoveterinary medicine', i.e. 'folk' approaches to the health and wellbeing of domestic animals and ask what roles nonhuman animals who self-medicate (a practice known as zoopharmacognosy) have played in the development of human ideas about medicinal plants.
This module provides you with the opportunity to engage in empirical research or a library-based literature review.
You will be provided with the support needed to enable you to synthesise theory and if appropriate, empirical data to produce a research paper which is written in the style of an appropriate academic journal of their choice.
There are no pre-requisites, and the module would be particularly suitable for students on other programmes, especially those which consider human health and wellbeing.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aims of this module are:
- to enable students to explore a wide range of anthrozoological interactions which relate to the health and well being of humans and/or nonhuman animals;
- to engage in analytical cross-cultural comparison of the various ways in which humans think about and utilise nonhumans in biomedical and therapeutic contexts;
- to engage in analytical cross-cultural comparison of the ways in which humans understand and treat the health and wellbeing of the nonhumans in their care;
- to consider the process of self-medication (zoopharmacognosy) in human and nonhuman animals; and
- to provide students with an opportunity to conduct their own empirical research and analysis.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of key themes and issues relating to the utilisation of nonhuman animals in biomedical and therapeutic contexts;
- 2. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of key themes and issues relating to the preventative, palliative and curative care of nonhuman animals in a range of cultural contexts;
- 3. demonstrate a critical awareness of the implications (benefits and limitations) of utilising nonhuman animals in biomedical and therapeutic contexts;
- 4. demonstrate a critical awareness of the implications of zoonotic disease in relation to the anthrozoological understandings of human-nonhuman relations, as well as the ethical implications of human-nonhuman coexistences;
- 5. demonstrate a critical awareness of the processes and implications of zoopharmacognosy in a range of nonhuman species;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the potential and actual role of anthrozoology in helping to promote the welfare of human and nonhuman subjects;
- 7. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of, and ability to critically assess a selection of key theoretical debates from anthropology and cognate disciplines surrounding human interactions with nonhumans in medical and therapeutic contexts;
- 8. apply a range of relevant theoretical models effectively in the critical analysis of case studies and/or empirical data;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. identify a coherent research question and conduct independent research to answer that question;
- 10. effectively communicate complex ideas in a clear, accessible and academic manner;
- 11. synthesise and critically analyse material from a wide range of sources;
- 12. present theoretically engaged and critically analytical research in accordance with the requirements of a peer-reviewed academic journal.
Syllabus plan
The module will cover a range of theoretical debates and case studies concerned with the following topics:
- the use of animals in biomedical research (which could include animal rights/ethics, nonhuman models, history of vivisection, environmental enrichment programmes, genomics, xenotransplants, cloning)
- the use of animals in therapeutic contexts (which could include Animal Assisted Therapy, assistance animals such as Guide dogs, power relationships etc.)
- ethnoveterinary medicine (which could also include alternative/non-allopathic therapies such as homeopathy, as well as spiritual communications with nonhumans such as shamanism and animal psychics)
- zoonotic disease (which could include focus on transmission, responses, attitudes towards carriers etc.)
- zoopharmacognosy (which could also include ethnobotany)
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour discussion/seminar |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Preparation for formative assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Research and writing of summative assessments |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour contributions to VLE forums |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan for the research project. | 250 words via email. | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | Written email response with suggestions and comments on the plan. |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research project to be written up in the style of an appropriate academic journal | 75 | 2,500 words | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Written feedback |
| Critical reading response to any of the readings listed on the reading list for the first 5 topics | 25 | 1,000 words | 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research paper to be written up in the style of an appropriate academic journal | Research paper to be written up in the style of an appropriate academic journal (2,500 words) | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | August/September reassessment period |
| Critical reading response to any of the readings listed for the first 5 topics | Critical reading response to any of the readings listed for the entire module | 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Arluke, A.B. 1988. Sacrificial symbolism in animal experimentation: object or pet? Anthrozoös 2(2): 98–117.
Bolton, M. and Dengen, C. (eds) 2010. Animals and science: from colonial encounters to the biotech industry. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars.
Caplan, P. 2000. ‘Eating British beef with confidence’: a consideration of consumers’ responses to BSE in Britain. In: P. Caplan (ed.) Risk revisited, pp. 184–203. London: Pluto.
Caplan, P. 2010. Death on the farm: culling badgers in north Pembrokeshire. Anthropology Today 26(2): 14–18.
Fine, A.H. (ed.) 2006. Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice, 2nd edn. New York: Academic Press.
Fouts, R.S., Fouts, D.H. and Waters, G.S. 2002. The ethics and efficacy of biomedical research in chimpanzees with special regard to HIV research. In: in Fuentes, A.
and Wolfe, L. (eds) Primates face to face: the conservation implications of human–nonhuman primate interconnections. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Franklin, S. 2001. Sheepwatching. Anthropology Today 17(3): 3–9.
Franklin, S. 2007. Dolly mixtures: the remaking of genealogy. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Franklin, S. 1995. Science as culture, cultures of science. Annual Review ofAnthropology 24: 163–184.
Gigliotti, C. 2009. Leonardo’s choice: genetic technologies and animals. Vancouver: Springer.
Hatley, J. 2011. Blood intimacies and biodicy: keeping faith with ticks. Australian Humanities Review 50: 63–75.
Heatherington, T. 2008. Cloning the wild mouflon. Anthropology Today 24(1): 9–14.
Holmberg, T. 2008. A feeling for the animal: on becoming an experimentalist. Society & Animals 16(4): 316–335.
Lefkowitz, C., Paharia, I., Prout, M., Debiak, D. and Bleiberg, J. 2005. Animalassisted prolonged exposure: a treatment for survivors of sexual assault suffering posttraumatic stress disorder. Society & Animals 13(4): 275–295.
Lowe, C. 2010. Viral clouds: Becoming H5N1 in Indonesia. Cultural Anthropology 25(4): 625–649.
Lynch, M.E. 1988. Sacrifice and the transformation of the animal body into a scientific object: laboratory culture and ritual practice in the neurosciences. Social Studies of Science 18(2): 265–289.
Mahaney W.C. and Krishnamani R. (2003) Understanding geophagy in animals: standard procedures for sampling soil. Journal of Chemical Ecology 29(7): 1503–1523
McCardle, P., McCune, S., Griffin, J.A. and Maholmes, V. (eds) 2010. How animals affect us: examining the influences of human–animal interaction on child development and human health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
McCorkle, C.M., Mathias, E. and Schillhorn van Veen, T. (eds) 1996. Ethnoveterinary research and development. London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
McKay, R. 2006. BSE, hysteria, and the representation of animal death: Deborah Levy’s Diary of a Steak. In: Animal Studies Group, Killing Animals. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Serpell, J.A. 1991. Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behaviour. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 84: 717–720.
Servais, V. 2005. Enchanting dolphins: an analysis of human–dolphin encounters. In: J. Knight (ed.) Animals in person: cultural perspectives on human–animal intimacies. Oxford: Berg.
Smith, J.A. and Boyd, K.M. 2002. The Boyd Group papers on the use of nonhuman primates in research and testing. Leicester: British Psychological Society.
Smuts, B. 2006. Between species: science and subjectivity. Configurations 14: 115–126.
Villbala, J.J., Provenza, F.D., Hall, J.O. and Lisonbee, L.D. 2010. Selection of tannins by sheep in response to gastrointestinal nematode infection. Journal of Animal Science 88: 2189–2198.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 04/09/2012 |
| Last revision date | 22/03/2022 |
