The affective geographies of human-pig relationships

Abstract

This thesis delves into the diverse and often overlooked lives of pigs beyond traditional agricultural settings, exploring their relationships with humans across three alternative spaces of encounter; animal research facilities, homes, and animal rescue spaces. Adopting a more-than-human geography perspective, this research is intrigued by the circulation, coexistence, and conflict of affect in human-pig relations. While animal geographies have made significant progress in understanding human-animal entanglements with space, place, and power, this thesis underscores the need for further investigation into the lived experiences of pigs and the nuanced nature of our connections with them. The research focuses on the transformative potential of love and care, advocating for new forms of political action by critically examining the boundary-making processes co-constitutive of human-pig entanglements. It introduces the concept of the ‘multiplicity of the pig’ to reflect the diverse roles and relationships that (re)define the pig and their identities. This concept acknowledges that pigs are not confined to a singular context or narrative, challenging their normative categorisation as ‘livestock’. Drawing on ethnographic data from animal research facilities, a pig sanctuary, and interviews with various participants including animal research technicians, pet pig keepers, sanctuary staff and volunteers, and a pet pig breeder, the thesis advances a more-than-human understanding of human-pig relationships. The inherently political relationships forged in the contexts explored in this thesis craft spaces for alternative encounters with pigs, representing practices of ‘worlding’ that reshape the boundaries of our shared worlds. This comprehensive understanding has the potential to drive ethical and political transformations, recognising that affective relations actively contribute to shaping shared multispecies experiences. However, the thesis identifies multiple challenges to worlding, entangled with species power relations that harbour hierarchical structures that seek to derail the transformative potential of affect.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Kate Goldie: orcid.org/0000-0003-1063-3461

ORCID for Emma Roe: orcid.org/0000-0003-4674-2133

ORCID for Jake L Snaddon: orcid.org/0000-0003-3549-5472

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