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Cargando... American Zoo: A Sociological Safari (2015)por David Grazian
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Orangutans swing from Kevlar-lined fire hoses. Giraffes feast on celebratory birthday cakes topped with carrots instead of candles. Hi-tech dinosaur robots growl among steel trees, while owls watch animated cartoons on old television sets. In American Zoo, sociologist David Grazian takes us on a safari through the contemporary zoo, alive with its many contradictions and strange wonders.Trading in his tweed jacket for a zoo uniform and a pair of muddy work boots, Grazian introduces us to zookeepers and animal rights activists, parents and toddlers, and the other human primates that make up the zoo's social world. He shows that in a major shift away from their unfortunate pasts, American zoos today emphasize naturalistic exhibits teeming with lush and immersive landscapes, breeding programs for endangered animals, and enrichment activities for their captive creatures. In doing so, zoos blur the imaginary boundaries we regularly use to separate culture from nature, humans from animals, and civilization from the wild. At the same time, zoos manage a wilderness of competing priorities-animal care, education, scientific research, and recreation-all while attempting to serve as centers for conservation in the wake of the current environmental and climate-change crisis. The world of the zoo reflects how we project our own prejudices and desires onto the animal kingdom, and invest nature with meaning and sentiment.A revealing portrayal of comic animals, delighted children, and feisty zookeepers, American Zoo is a remarkable close-up exploration of a classic cultural attraction. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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I was expecting this book to be rather fluffy and saccharine but it is anything but. I have never before felt so seen as a zoo volunteer and as someone who believes in the possibilities of zoos. The detail in the text and the endnotes was astounding. Grazian does not shy away from negative stories about zoos but he always emphasizes how hardworking and well-intentioned (and underpaid and unappreciated) the vast majority of zoo staff are. So many books about zoos just shallowly wonder if anyone has ever considered whether zoos should exist, while this book reflects the actual conversations that zoo professionals have about what purpose zoos serve and what they can do to improve and what their place is in the future. I’m so glad I have this book in my collection because I will definitely be coming back to it. Will it appeal to anyone who isn’t very invested in zoos? I’m not sure. ( )