ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how to do multispecies-ethnographies. Authors use this method to challenge prevalent dualistic-anthropocentric approaches of studying human-animal relations with a more nuanced appreciation of the joint nature of these interactions. Using a “more-than-human” interpretive method enables them to explore the meanings and practices of “living with” (wild) animals from a more symmetrical perspective. Specifically, to include the animal “symmetrically”, authors highlight how to engage with affect in doing research on human-(wild) animal interaction, they emphasise the multisensory aspects (visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile) of human-animal interactions, in terms of their materiality and they discuss their impact on the life worlds of both human and animal. Through case studies drawn from empirical work on wildlife management practices of wild boars, black bears and elephants, authors illustrate methodological strategies that researchers can use in practice to overcome the challenges of interspecies communication. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the implications of these findings in terms of human-wildlife co-existence, towards an “ethnology”, multispecies ethnography informed by ethology.
