Introduction

This book focuses on animals as subjects rather than objects, on animals as parts of human society rather than just symbols of it, and on human interactions and relationships with animals rather than simply human representations of animals. Intimacy is understood as a two-way relationship, implying a degree of affective mutuality, even if this is unequal and asymmetrical. The book describes a range of affective interactions between humans and animals in the context of both functional or working relationships and relationships arising in the domain of leisure. It provides discussions of livestock animals and pet animals, as well as wild animals. The ethnographic study of human interactions with animals in person provides an opportunity to advance our understanding of animals as persons. The book describes many human—animal interactions that have an intimate, mutualistic, and even intersubjective character that makes it reasonable talk in terms of sociality beyond the species barrier.