Animals in world politics
By Joana Castro Pereira
The field of International Relations (IR) has mostly ignored the role of animals in world politics. In response, the Special Issue “Animals in International Relations”, which I co-edited with Judith Renner and published in International Relations, addresses this gap. It offers a collection of original research across various areas of world politics, with two primary goals: to recognise animals as significant subjects of inquiry within IR and to establish a research agenda for exploring their roles in this field.
IR should consider the ethics of animals more deeply. The articles raise important questions about ethics and animals in IR, including the ethics of war and the place of animals in theories of global justice.
This special issue opens a dialogue between IR and Critical Animal Studies (CAS), contributing to a wider shift in IR towards a post-anthropocentric perspective of world politics. It emphasises the need for in-depth investigation into the complex relationships between humans and non-human entities shaping our planet in the Anthropocene. Moreover, the contributions in this SI have broader implications for practitioners as well. They provide insights into critical areas where animals should be considered in decision-making processes, identify deficiencies in international agreements and policies, and offer recommendations for incorporating animal rights into international policy programmes. This makes the SI relevant beyond academia.
The articles explore the integral role of animals in central domains within IR. They cover a broad spectrum of themes, ranging from sovereignty and power dynamics to diplomacy, ethical concerns in warfare, notions of justice and liberation, environmental governance, activism, and international law. Drawing upon the contributions to this issue it delineates a four-fold research agenda aimed at advancing the study of animals within the realm of IR. First, these contributions are crucial to recent efforts within the field of IR to challenge human exceptionalism and the divide between nature and culture. Specifically, the articles in this issue help reshape IR by foregrounding the role of animals and animality as a contrasting backdrop that both establishes and reinforces existing hierarchies, while also offering potential for disruption. Animals have historically justified human dominance and social hierarchies. Focusing on the intricate relationships between animals and humans, along with the process of animalisation in both human and IR contexts, provides a promising way to examine human privilege. This involves revising IR concepts and theories to be less human-centred and adopting a more radical understanding of relationality.
Second, IR should consider the ethics of animals more deeply. The articles raise important questions about ethics and animals in IR, including the ethics of war and the place of animals in theories of global justice. While there is a need for more theoretical research on specific ethical aspects of IR, like global animal rights and protection, there is also a gap in empirical research. Empirical studies are essential to understand complex injustices involving multiple species. This means examining how various industries impact the environment, contribute to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, and affect both human and animal lives, habitats, cultures, and opportunities for thriving as communities.
Studying how animals are involved in initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainability Agenda…would contribute significantly to discussions about making big societal changes needed for real sustainable development.
Third, future research should look more into how animals can be active participants in international practices. The articles in this issue show how animals can play an active role in various international activities, like diplomacy and activism in global social movements. We need more research to understand how animals can be active in other parts of international politics, like the global economy and war and conflict. This means creating theories and studying different ways animals can participate.
Last, the contributions to this SI suggest that IR research should take a close look at real-world situations in international politics, especially how animals are portrayed and treated in these situations. This re-examination is important because it helps us understand the often-ignored roles animals play and gives us valuable insights into how humans interact with animals in everyday international relations. Additionally, studying how animals are involved in initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainability Agenda and the effects of these initiatives on how humans and animals relate to each other would contribute significantly to discussions about making big societal changes needed for real sustainable development.
The aim of this SI and the proposed research agenda is to encourage scholars in IR and related fields to adopt a post-anthropocentric perspective, incorporating animals into the study of world politics. In light of the significant planetary crisis we are confronting, this effort seeks to illuminate often neglected aspects of human-animal interactions, foster a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships in the Anthropocene, and ultimately work towards a future characterised by justice and harmonious coexistence for all species on our planet.
Joana Castro Pereira is a member of the Planet Politics Institute and Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Porto.
This article is original content published under a Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
