Are zoos an anachronism in the 21st century?
12/10/24 • 34 min
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Many of us have fond memories of going to the zoo as children, but zoo critics are vocal in their condemnation of keeping animals in captivity, believing there can be no such thing as a good zoo. Are the goals of entertainment, conservation, education and research more often in conflict than harmony? And are they ultimately irreconcilable with concern for animal welfare?
In this episode, George Miller talks to Heather Browning and Walter Veit, co-authors of 'What are Zoos For?' about the ethics of captivity, the challenges of balancing animal welfare with the need for public engagement, and the potential for zoos to drive meaningful conservation efforts. We also get to hear about Walter’s recent memorable encounter with Frank the feisty king penguin.
Heather Browning is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Southampton, working on philosophical questions in animal welfare, sentience, and ethics. She previously worked as a zookeeper and zoo animal welfare officer in Australia and New Zealand. Walter Veit is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Reading. His primary research interests lie in the intersection of the biological, social, and mind sciences and empirically informed philosophy and ethics.
Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-are-zoos-for
The full transcript of the podcast is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2024/12/10/podcast-are-zoos-an-anachronism-in-the-21st-century/
Timestamps:
1:30 - Are you the kind of people who seek out the zoo when you visit a new city?
2:33 - How did you come into this field?
4:01 - What was the particular appeal to ask and answer this question of the purpose of zoos?
8:02 - How do you deal with the historical dimension of zoos?
13:03 - Do you have examples of people having moving moments being in close proximity to wild animals?
18:07 - What makes it so difficult to judge whether conservation is as compelling an argument as zoos maintain?
23:54 - How easy is it to establish what constitutes good welfare?
28:03 - Can you pick out a zoo encounter that really sticks in your memory?
Intro music:
Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Follow the Transforming Society blog to be told when new articles and podcasts publish: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/follow-the-blog/
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Many of us have fond memories of going to the zoo as children, but zoo critics are vocal in their condemnation of keeping animals in captivity, believing there can be no such thing as a good zoo. Are the goals of entertainment, conservation, education and research more often in conflict than harmony? And are they ultimately irreconcilable with concern for animal welfare?
In this episode, George Miller talks to Heather Browning and Walter Veit, co-authors of 'What are Zoos For?' about the ethics of captivity, the challenges of balancing animal welfare with the need for public engagement, and the potential for zoos to drive meaningful conservation efforts. We also get to hear about Walter’s recent memorable encounter with Frank the feisty king penguin.
Heather Browning is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Southampton, working on philosophical questions in animal welfare, sentience, and ethics. She previously worked as a zookeeper and zoo animal welfare officer in Australia and New Zealand. Walter Veit is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Reading. His primary research interests lie in the intersection of the biological, social, and mind sciences and empirically informed philosophy and ethics.
Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-are-zoos-for
The full transcript of the podcast is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2024/12/10/podcast-are-zoos-an-anachronism-in-the-21st-century/
Timestamps:
1:30 - Are you the kind of people who seek out the zoo when you visit a new city?
2:33 - How did you come into this field?
4:01 - What was the particular appeal to ask and answer this question of the purpose of zoos?
8:02 - How do you deal with the historical dimension of zoos?
13:03 - Do you have examples of people having moving moments being in close proximity to wild animals?
18:07 - What makes it so difficult to judge whether conservation is as compelling an argument as zoos maintain?
23:54 - How easy is it to establish what constitutes good welfare?
28:03 - Can you pick out a zoo encounter that really sticks in your memory?
Intro music:
Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Follow the Transforming Society blog to be told when new articles and podcasts publish: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/follow-the-blog/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Austerity: The silent killer
Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in.
In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with David Walsh and Gerry McCartney, co-authors of 'Social Murder?: Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK', about the monumental impact austerity has had, and continues to have, on life expectancy.
They discuss the real-life stories of people affected by austerity policies, the reasons austerity is often sidelined in official health reports and the steps that need to be taken to reverse the horrific effects of these last 14 years.
David Walsh is Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow and previously Programme Manager at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. Gerry McCartney is Professor of Wellbeing Economy at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Scotland.
Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-murder
The full transcript of the podcast is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2024/12/03/podcast-austerity-the-silent-killer/
Timestamps:
1:20 - What is social murder?
4:30 - Why were social service cuts made?
9:45 - Can you go into more detail on some of the cuts and how the affected poorer people?
16:20 - Was it thoughtlessness that led to these cuts?
18:37 - Can you talk us through some of the real life stories, such as Moira's story?
25:48 - What is the idea of a 'participation society' and how does that link to the rise in food banks?
31:40 - What have institutions and governments ignored the research on austerity?
38:34 - Should we be measuring our economies differently?
41:10 - What steps do we need to take to reverse the effects of austerity?
44:16 - Where can we find you online?
Intro music:
Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Follow the Transforming Society blog to be told when new articles and podcasts publish: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/follow-the-blog/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
How to be creative with data analysis
Alongside a growing interest in creative methods, researchers are increasingly exploring how to bring creativity into data analysis. But how do you strike the balance between innovation and maintaining a systematic, rigorous and ethical approach?
Jess Miles talks to Helen Kara, Dawn Mannay, and Alastair Roy, editors of The Handbook of Creative Data Analysis, about the role of creativity in research, its benefits for analysis and communication, and the anxieties and difficulties people might experience around using creative methods for the first time.
Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-handbook-of-creative-data-analysis
The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/01/14/podcast-how-to-be-creative-with-data-analysis/
Links to resources:
- The Handbook of Creative Data Analysis: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-handbook-of-creative-data-analysis
- Creativity in research webinar: https://youtu.be/yBW0MIfR944?feature=shared
- Creative Research Methods in Practice series: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-research-methods-in-practice
- International Creative Research Methods conference: https://creativeresearchmethods.com/
- 'Generating Materials' in Using Social Theory: https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857020253.n5
- Embodied Research Methods: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/book/embodied-methods-social-sciences
- Epistemic Freedom in Africa: Deprovincialization and Decolonization: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/41376/9781138588578_oachapter1.pdf
- 'Fabrication as ethical practice': https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2011.641993
Timestamps:
01:06 - How did the book come about?
06:13 - Why does creativity matter in research and data analysis?
12:28 - How does creative data analysis and co-production help with analysing, communicating and talking about research with a wider audience?
15:22 - How does creative data analysis bring the body into play and what's the significance of this?
21:15 - How does fiction and fictional elements fit into academic research?
26:25 - How can we mitigate the anxieties people have around using creative research methods?
34:50 - What would you say to someone looking to use creative research methods for the first time?
Intro music:
Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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