Abstract
This study analyzes the factors, internal and external, that affect the relationship between community identity and the social construction of animals, and the ways in which that social construction impacts the environment. Studied through the lens of the relationship between Atlantic Puffins and the human communities they live near, these questions situate our understanding of human societies as within, as opposed to above, the environment. Without this perspective, enacting environmental protections across the globe is ineffective. The study was conducted using ethnographic methods, including 11 formal interviews with community members and experts, along with observations in Iceland and Canada. Results indicate that human/animal relationships are interwoven with local cultures and social structures, so that models and definitions of conservation have to be based on the local context.
Advisor
Fitz-Gibbon, Heather
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Tuennerman, Megan Henry, "Puffins, The Charismatic Clowns Of The Sea: Examining The Relationship Between Community Identity And The Social Construction Of Animals" (2022). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 9740.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/9740
Disciplines
Environmental Studies | Place and Environment | Sociology | Sociology of Culture | Tourism
Keywords
Atlantic Puffin, Community, Animal, Relationship, Iceland, Canada, Seabird
Publication Date
2022
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar
Included in
Environmental Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Tourism Commons
© Copyright 2022 Megan Henry Tuennerman