ABSTRACT
Ecofeminist understandings of human relations with non-human animals constitute a prolific body of work. This work has been influential in problematizing 'the human', 'the animal' and human relations with non-human animals. These approaches provide an analysis of the ways the social system of gender relations is co-constituted through ideas and practices around 'nature' and species relations. This chapter considers a range of ecofeminist approaches, the ways in which these have developed, and sites of debate and conflict on 'the question of the animal'. It outlines the theorization of human relations with non-human animals, and focuses on the theme of cultures of aggressive masculinity. The chapter proceeds to set out the development of critical animal studies (CAS) scholarship and the tensions and intersections between this and feminist animal studies (FAS). It focuses theoretical debates on human-animal relations draws on elements of both CAS and FAS, and on the recent use of complex systems approaches within sociology.
