CRITICAL ANIMAL STUDIES

The main objectives of Critical Animal Studies (CAS) are: tackle animal oppression and the power relations that discriminate the living by elaborating a critique of mainstream animal studies and the systems of oppression in force; analyze the relationships between humans and non-humans in the nature-culture continuum; promote resistance and regeneration practices for human and non-human animals together.
The course, focusing each year on a specific topic, deals with CAS authors, themes, methods and tools by deepening the animal question through its links with class, ethnicity, gender and ability; the abuses and violence of colonialist and extractivist practices that speciesism and connected forms of discrimination convey and support; the intersectional, decolonial and transcultural critiques to the imaginary and narratives of the Anthropocene

- Address the animal question in its ecosystemic and intersectional dimension
- Understand the language, ideology, practices and institutions that convey and support speciesism
- Develop a critique oppresions and privileges starting from a situated and reflexive methodology
- Promote a multi-species society against all forms of discrimination.

No prerequisites are needed.

After a methodological introduction, on the key concepts and approach of Critical Animal Studies, the course will address more specifically some of the following issues, with a specific focus each year, for instance:
- Intersections between Feminist Animal Studies and Critical Animal Studies.
- Taxonomies and speciesism, science, technology and biopolitics.
- Multispecies societies.
- Productive and reproductive labour in private and public space, care practices between normativity and resistance,
- Stereotypes and animalization.
- Interspecies assemblages, becoming-with vulnerability, risk
- Intersections among ableism, sexism, racism, ageism.
- Reproductive multispecies justice and decolonial perspectives,
- Care and control.
- Zoopticon, colonialism, orientalism and the animal spectacle.
- Visuality and the animal imaginary in new media.

Texts and documents (detailed reading list) in the class space in Moodle.

In class activities (reading files and discussion) and final (individual or group) paper (this depends on taking in class assignment or not)

written and oral

18-30 (numerical votes with partial evaluation of in class assignmnents)

Lectures, seminars by external experts and attending students, group work.

Students are required to read the assigned texts before class in which they will be discussed and on the basis of the schedule provided. Laptops will be used exclusively for assigned activities. The use of mobile phones is not allowed in class except for motivated reasons previously agreed with the teacher.
Please note that for attending students, participation is part of the final evaluation.

Students in the classroom will be respectful of each other and everyone's participation will be guaranteed. This class promotes accountability, equality, freedom of expression and collaboration. No kind of discrimination, verbal or otherwise, will be allowed in the classroom. For specific needs, or problems that occur in class, students are asked to contact me privately.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development