Carrots and sticks: a discourse on interspecies partnership and culture in dog sport
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gordon, R. J. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Reynolds, Candice | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-07-27T10:09:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-07-27T10:09:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Dogs are not only good to think but good to live and become with. In this study I explored the overarching concerns of interspecific relations among “schutzhund people”: an emerging multispecies sub-culture in South Africa pertaining to a German dog sport called schutzhund. Four predominant areas of investigation developed: dog training philosophy, dog-human communication, interspecies partnership, and multispecies culture. The aim of this study was to conduct an ethnographic enquiry into the culture (i.e. minds and lives) of dog-handler partners in the multispecies total institution of schutzhund. A blend of multiple techniques was used to gather information, including in-depth interviews, participant observation, photography, and kinesics. Data was collected from multiple sites and analysed by means of triangulation. An attempt was made at combatting the “problem of voice” so common in human-animal studies by including dogs in the research process as subjects rather than objects. Primary findings revealed firstly, that dog-training philosophy has a direct impact on how humans perceive dogs. Three key training philosophies were identified, namely: carrots (positive reinforcement), sticks (compulsion), and motivational training (a combination method). Secondly, the components and requirements for dog-human conversations were described in the form of a toolkit. The concept of speaking bodies emerged as dog and human co-created their own “third language” in training. Thirdly, research portrayed the interspecies partnership between dog and handler as a dance; an attempt at synchronized negotiations of power, control, and leadership. Various interactive restrictions were exposed such as ambiguity, inconsistency, and anthropomorphism. I argue here that the relational boundaries between humans and animals are markedly blurred by mutual embodiment. Finally, dogs were characterized as agents of empire who were discovered to be coconstructers of the social and cultural realities humans share with them. Findings also pointed to schutzhund as serious leisure and in conflict with many “real-life” commitments which raised various political and feminist concerns. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Honde is die ideale diere om mee saam te lewe, te dink en te ontwikkel. In hierdie studie ondersoek ek die oorkoepelende kwessies van interspesifieke verhoudings tussen “schutzhund mense”: ‘n ontluikende Suid-Afrikaanse multispesie subkultuur wat verband hou met ‘n Duitse hondesport genaamd schutzhund. Vier primêre areas het in die ondersoek ontstaan, naamlik honde-opleidingfilosofie, mens-hond kommunikasie, interspesie verhoudings en multispesie kultuur. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n etnografiese ondersoek te loods na die kultuur (m.a.w. denke en lewens) van honde-handelaars in die algehele multispesie institusie van schutzhund. ‘n Kombinasie van verskeie tegnieke is gebruik om inligting te versamel, onder andere in diepte onderhoude, waarneming van deelnemers, fotografie en kinesie. Data is uit verskeie oorde ingewin en deur middel van triangulasie geanaliseer. ‘n Poging is aangewend om die “stemprobleem”, wat algemeen in mens-dier studies voorkom, aan te spreek deur diere as subjekte eerder as objekte in die navorsingsprojek te betrek. Primêre bevindinge onthul dat, eerstens, honde-opleidingfilosofie ‘n direkte impak het op die wyse waarop mense honde sien. Drie kern opleidingsfilosofieë, naamlik wortels (positiewe versterking), stokke (dwang) en motiverende opleiding (‘n gekombineerde metode) is geïdentifiseer. Tweedens word die komponente en vereistes van mens-hond gesprekke bespreek in die vorm van ‘n stel hulpmiddels. Die konsep van sprekende liggame het ontstaan soos die mens en die hond ‘n “derde taal” tydens opleiding ontwikkel het. Derdens word die interspesie verhouding tussen hond en handelaar as ‘n dans uitgebeeld; ‘n poging om mag, beheer en leierskap te sinkroniseer. Verskeie interaktiewe grense, soos tweeledigheid, inkonsekwentheid en antropomorfisme, is ontbloot. In hierdie geval voer ek aan dat die verhoudingsgrense tussen mense en diere opmerklik versteur word deur wedersydse verpersoonliking. Laastens word honde gekarakteriseer as ryksagente wat optree as medeskeppers van die sosiale en kulturele werklikheid wat mense met hul deel. Die bevindinge toon ook aan dat schutzhund as ernstige ontspanning bestempel word en teenstrydig is met baie “werklike” verpligtinge – ‘n bevinding wat verskeie politiese en feministiese kwessies opper. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/685 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.A. (Anthropology ))--University of the Free State, 2015 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Schutzhund dogs--Training | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dogs--Training | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Human-animal relationships | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dog owners | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | German shepherd dog | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Schutzhund (Dog sport) | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Carrots and sticks: a discourse on interspecies partnership and culture in dog sport | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |