Within human animal studies (HAS), as well as within the posthumanistic field in general, it has been pointed out that we still lack knowledge of how animals can be recognized as subjects and agents with the possession of cognitive and social abilities. At the same time, we see a re-evaluation of the human anthropocentric boundary between Man and the Beast – in the academic world as well as in the practice of everyday life. One example is how the prevalent ways of relating to and handling with horses – our traditional equine cultures – are under transition. Norms, attitudes and practices – not least those relating to equestrian sports – are changing; some people even believe in a “paradigm shift”, while others predict a future “horse revolution”. This ethnological contribution to the field of HAS aims to study the acknowledgement of the horse as subject, how it is being expressed and practised by egalitarian communities within the Swedish horse society, and what the implications of that acknowledgement are, for both human and horse. Consisting of interviews and participant observations and seen through the lens of a phenomenological HAS-perspective, the empirical material shows that the egalitarian approach implies ethical and practical consequences. Not only does it entail considerations regarding such things as horse keeping, riding style, competitions, training and conditioning methods – for some individuals it may also implicate a personal change, as they discover the horse’s message of presence and authenticity

Les études de la relation entre les humains et les animaux prennent petit à petit leur place en anthropologie. Depuis plusieurs points d’observation, l’anthropologie interprète et explique les relations établies entre les humains et les animaux au fil de l’histoire. Petit à petit ces études s’engagent à observer les animaux plus proches de nous et plus communs, comme les animaux domestiques (Dalla Bernardina, 2006). Nous essaierons dans cette étude de comprendre comment cet animal domestique interagit socialement et ce qu’il signifie dans un contexte social indigène. Mon objectif est d’ethnographier cette relation entre sujets humains et canins, dont la coexistence et l’histoire font sens. En ce qui concerne les Indiens et les animaux, l’anthropologie nous présente plusieurs travaux, Erikson (1988 ; 1998 ; 2000, 2012), Descola (1986 ; 2005), Viveiros de Castro (1998, 2002 ; 2009), Vander Velden (2009 ; 2011, 2012), Kohler (2011, 2012), qui me serviront de base pour entamer cette recherche. En partant du principe que les êtres humains maintiennent une relation objective et subjective avec les animaux je prétends mener une ethnographie des liens entre les Pitaguary et leurs chiens. J’utiliserai le concept de « communauté hybride » du philosophe Dominique Lestel (1996, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2013) pour définir une société où la relation de collaboration entre humains et animaux se superpose à celle d’autorité. Il s’agit de mettre en lumière les liens interspécifiques au centre des rapports sociaux, où tant l’humain que l’animal ont statut de sujet. Pour mener cette étude, l’immersion dans les terres Pitaguary et l’observation participante de la relation entre ce peuple et ses chiens a été la méthodologie appliquée. Nous évoquons d’abord l’histoire des Pitaguary dans le contexte de la « renaissance » des Indiens du Nordeste, puis la place des animaux, et des chiens en particulier, dans leurs mythes, rituels et pratiques (chasse, soins) et l’interprétation subjective des comportements canins par les Pitaguary eux-mêmes. Nous nous centrons enfin sur les chiens, dans leur quotidien, dans leur histoire de vie, et dans leur relation sociale avec les humains. / The study of the relations between humans and animals gradually increases in importance in anthropology. Originating from different approaches, the anthropological studies have sought to interpret the relations established between human and animals in historical senses. Researches have more and more concentrated efforts on the observation of the closest and more common animals (Dalla Bernardina, 2006), such as the domestic species. This research will seek to understand how the domestic animal interacts with human, Erickson (1988 ; 1998 ; 2000, 2012), Descola (1986 ; 2005), Viveiros de Castro (1998, 2002 ; 2009), Vander Velden (2009 ; 2011, 2012), Kohler (2011, 2012), beings in a native (Indian) community, analyzing the day-to-day life of the Pitaguary tribe in the State of Ceará, Brazil, with their pet dogs. The goal is an ethnographic study of the relation among human and canine individuals, whose long story of coexistence has led to the creation of a special bond among many of those. Starting from the general idea that humans keep objective and subjective relations with animals, the proposal is an anthropological research based on the ethnography of the relations between the Pitaguary and their pet dogs, based on the concept of a “hybrid society”, such as the defined by the philosopher Dominique Lestel (1996, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2013) in order to define a society in which the relation of collaboration between men and animals overcomes the dominative relation (understood as determining on the process of domesticization/familiarization). It comes down to seek to understand the interespecific connections on the community life, in which both the humans as much as the animals have a leading role. Intensive field research on the Pitaguary landings to assess the relation between this people and their pet dogs (along with other wild animals, domestic e familiarized) will be the methodology to be employed. It must be pointed out the history of the Pitaguary in the context of the “reemergence” of the Indians in Northeastern Brazil, next the importance of their pet animals and dogs, especially on mythical, rites and daily habits (such as hunting and cures) just as the subjective interpretation of the canine behavior by the own Pitaguary. We’ll focus at last on the pet dogs on day-to-day matters, their life stories, and within their social relations with humans. / O estudo das relações entre humanos e animais ganha paulatinamente espaço na Antropologia. Partindo de diferentes abordagens teóricas e metodológicas, os estudos antropológicos têm buscado interpretar as relações estabelecidas entre animais humanos e não humanos etnográfica e historicamente. Cada vez mais as investigações empenham-se na observação de animais, mais próximos e comuns (Dalla Bernardina, 2006), como as espécies domésticas ou domesticadas. A pesquisa aqui proposta tenta compreender como o animal doméstico interage socialmente com seres humanos em uma população indígena, Erikson (1988 ; 1998 ; 2000, 2012), Descola (1986 ; 2005), Viveiros de Castro (1998, 2002 ; 2009), Vander Velden (2009 ; 2011, 2012), Kohler (2011, 2012). O objetivo foi etnografar a relação entre sujeitos humanos e caninos, cuja longa história de convivência levou à criação de um nexo especial entre uns e outros. Partindo do princípio de que os seres humanos mantêm relações objetivas e subjetivas com os animais, fiz esta pesquisa antropológica baseada na etnografia das relações entre os Pitaguary e seus cachorros, a partir do conceito de “sociedade híbrida”, tal como definido pelo filósofo Dominique Lestel (1996, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2013) para definir uma sociedade em que a relação de colaboração entre homens e animais se sobrepõe à relação de dominação (entendida como determinante no processo de domesticação/familiarização). Trata-se de buscar compreender os laços interespecíficos no seio do convívio social, no qual tanto o humano quanto o animal ocupam o estatuto de sujeito. Pesquisa de campo intensiva nas terras Pitaguary para a observação da relação entre esse povo e seus cães (além de outros animais selvagens, domésticos e familiarizados) foi a metodologia aplicada. Evocamos primeiramente a história dos Pitaguary no contexto do « ressurgimento » dos índios do Nordeste, em seguida o lugar dos animais e dos cães, em particular nos mitos, rituais e práticas (caça, curas) assim como a interpretação subjetiva dos comportamentos caninos pelos próprios Pitaguary. Nos centraremos finalmente sobre os cachorros no quotidiano, suas histórias de vida, e dentro de suas relações sociais com os humanos.

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Seoul from July 2012 until July 2013, this dissertation offers a novel perspective on human-animal interactions and public discourses regarding livestock versus pet moral boundaries in contemporary Korea. I aim to explore how Koreans struggle to make sense of the tension between the emergence of animal welfare and the perpetuation of traditional health behaviours that involve animal processing. The focus will be on why participants in my study, whether activists or not, defended both animal ethics and cat and dog meat consumption, while including Korean animals in fluid and instrumental conceptions of Koreanness. I have analysed a variety of discourses produced by both Korean and non-Korean, academic and non-academic stakeholders, in order to reveal the on-going tension between these powerful ubiquitous ideas and the lived experience of Koreans today. Moreover, I examine how the aesthetics of cruelty and empathy is employed in order to singularize livestock into companion animals thereby transgressing cultural taboos regarding Western ethics of species separation. I also demonstrate that converging and conflicting economic, political, social and cultural agendas are responsible for making Korea’s public discourses about animal welfare very unsettled. My research thus contributes to key anthropological debates about the cross-cultural circulation and cross-fertilisation of moral values that impact the ethics of post-industrial human-animal interactions; and about the influence of policy dialogue, at both national and international levels, on applied animal ethics, cultural stigmatization and the reinforcement of national sentiment.