Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
fishing, and produced a general consensus that red snapper was 'the tastiest'. This
suggests that the primary way in which participants encounter fish from the ocean
was as food, likely in 'ready to eat' or prepared (dead) form. This, of course, is true
of most Americans today.
Knowledge and perceptions of animals
Rather than asking direct questions about participants' knowledge or perceptions of
animals, their responses and spontaneous discussions provided clues about the
extent of their knowledge and, frequently, its socio-cultural context. The women
often relied on first-hand experience for understanding animals as sentient beings, as
well as on second-hand information from parents, family or friends, and,
interestingly, even urban folktales. Competing knowledge claims were strategically
used to convince others of particular attitudes (such as why people should not eat
animals). Knowledge about wild animal habitats also emerged, along with a basic
understanding of ecosystem relations. Participants gained some of their knowledge
from childhood experiences with animals, such as horseback riding (Bernadette),
picnicking in parks (Vivian and Bernadette) and (for Irene and Susan especially)
going on field trips or to summer camp. Susan is an example: her mother sent her to
summer camp, and 'we learned about all the wild. You know, we used to go hiking
and fishing and we learned about the flowers, the birds, all that.'
The sorts of animals typically seen on local beaches were identified, and
participants volunteered specific urban sites where animals such as opossums could
be seen in numbers, suggesting a familiarity with urban wildlife distributions. In
addition, rudimentary knowledge of animal behaviour emerged; for example, in
talking about a pet snake that had eaten a neighbour's dog, one respondent argued:
They're used to liv[ing] in the wild. That's where they was born so it's like
very hard for them to be, you know, locked up and as soon as they get out
they do what's natural for them…look for prey.
Similarly, discussions about El Niño indicated general ideas about natural system
linkages, based on popular conceptions of ecosystems and species diversity. And at
least one participant (Alice) was somewhat familiar with recent shifts in predator
management (especially wolves in the Rocky Mountain region).
Lively discussions on the topic of animals as food (detailed in the next section)
revealed culinary knowledge, but also clarified what one participant, Susan, knew
about animal pain and its similarity to human suffering on the basis of her witness of
an animal slaughter. She linked the suffering of stray companion animals to human
material and emotional needs: 'I've seen stray dogs and I said, “well, oh, that dog
needs to be taken out of his misery,” but actually the dog just wants some love and
attention and a home.' Participants also knew about various foreign practices
towards animals, as Irene related: '[T]hey have farms out there in the Philippines
