As students head back to school later this month, they'll be studying the basics, like geometry and world history. But increasingly, students are exposed to a relatively new field of study involving animals and humans. Marion Willetts is a sociology professor at Illinois State University and teaches a class she designed called Animals in Society. This class is a part of what Willetts calls an emerging subfield of social science.
- This subfield is multidisciplinary, including sociology, anthropology, philosophy and even English literature.
- Willetts said students learn about different philosophical and religious perspectives of animals, the main societal uses of animals, and animals used in research , entertainment and as personal companions.
- One particular angle is the similarity of the oppression of animals and certain human groups, focusing on women and racial and ethnic groups, religious minorities and the poor.
- This field of study is a recent movement and there's been a struggle to gain serious acceptance.
- Willetts said the class opens people's eyes towards how animals fit into our lives.160802AnimalHouseBonus.mp3Is trying to find cruelty-free eggs an impossible task? Marion Willetts explains in this bonus audio.