Superhuman Histories: Animals, Environment, Society

3 units

History is often understood as the story of the human past – but “we” have never been alone. How have animals and humans acted together to transform environments, define social hierarchies, or reconfigure relations of power? Conversely, how have animal bodies and animal lives been fashioned, refashioned, rescued, and extinguished through the collective actions of human (and nonhuman) beings? This course explores the current “animal turn” in History. We will discuss animal breeding, race, and pedigree; livestock and empire; workhorses and war elephants; animal welfare and extinction. Our focus will be thematic and largely modern; there will be no geographical focus (readings may treat north America, Europe, Latin America, South Asia, Africa, East Asia, or the Middle East, among other possibilities). Students will have opportunities for research.