Animals and Ourselves

<p> The relationship between humans and animals has always been strong symbiotic and complicated. Animals real and fictional have been a mainstay in the arts and entertainment figuring prominently in literature film television social media and live performances. Increasingly though people are anthropomorphizing animals assigning them humanoid roles tasks and identities. At the same time humans such as members of the furry culture or college mascots find pleasure in adopting animal identities and characteristics. This book is the first of its kind to explore these growing phenomena across media. The contributors to this collection represent various disciplines to include the arts humanities social sciences and healthcare. Their essays demonstrate the various ways that human and animal lives are intertwined and constantly evolving.</p>