Anthropocentrism/de Waal

Homework 9 Zoo & Museum Guidelines.html

Bring your DePaul ID to the museum as the museum is free for university students and print this out so you can keep these questions in mind as you walk through the museum.  

1.  You are free to go to any part of the museum you want--just make sure you visit at least 3 distinct eras and/or cultures so you get a variety of perspectives.  Notice how plants and animals are portrayed versus humans (you can also keep your eyes out for how woman, people of color, and children are portrayed but that's optional).  Are plants and animals are treated with the same subjectivity as humans?  Are singular animals or plants portrayed in the same way singular humans often are? Any "good"/respectful artworks you saw--if so describe them (please try to wrote down the name of the artwork and the artist's name if there is one).  What kinds of art works attracted to you most (era, culture, subject matter, kind of art, etc.)? What do you learn about plants and animals in this museum? 

TAKE THIS HANDOUT WITH YOU WHEN YOU VISIT THE LINCOLN PARK ZOO and/or ARBORETUM 

This handout is meant to serve as a guideline for note-taking and thinking while you’re at the zoo.

You will need to email me or print a “selfie” with your phone/camera to prove that you actually went to the zoo and the arboretum (if you are one of the rare creatures in America that, like me, does not have a cell phone, let me know and I’ll figure out another way for you to prove your attendance). The picture does not have to include your face, just hold up this handout next to an exhibit with your name on it and voila!

1. Observe as many animals as you’d like at the zoo, but be sure to at least visit the Great Ape exhibit. Observe how the animals are behaving. Do they seem happy? Sad? Anxious? Stressed? Playful? Do some species or individual animals seem to be happier/less stressed than others? Why do you think that might be the case?  We can’t always tell the emotional states of animals (many people believe dolphins are being playful because of their “smiles” without remembering that, of course, dolphins are not really smiling!) but try your best.
2. Do any of the animals interact with you or other guests at the zoo?
3. How are the children you see responding to/interacting with the animals? Are they treating them with wonder, respect? Are they rude or bored? How are the adults responding? What is the “atmosphere” of the zoo?
4. Pick two species you saw at the zoo and look up basic information about them online. What are their natural habitats like (in terms of distance covered in a typical day/territory size, food eaten, weather conditions, involvement with other species, etc)? What is their social structure, if any, and how do their captive environments compare to their natural ones?
5. Have you ever been to a zoo before? Was it something you did as a child? If you can recall, how did you feel when you went to zoos as a child or anytime in your past? How did they shape your perception of non-domesticated animals?
6. What are the purposes of a zoo? What functions do they serve for the animals and for humans? 
7. If possible, try to talk to some of the workers. What are their jobs? Do they see any ethical problems with zoos? What are the specific conservation projects that go on at LPZ? Visit the LPZ website and look up information if you can’t find someone to talk to better understand the mission of LPZ (zoos vary from one to the other so it’s important to understand the mission of the specific zoo you visit).
8. Animal rights activists often compare zoos to prisons or “freak” shows of the past where members of African tribes and people with various physical and mental disabilities were displayed for a paying audience. What are the differences, if any, between these kinds of shows and the display of animals in zoos? What, if any, are the similarities? If a certain cultural group were endangered and there were a place where members of that culture were put in (or bred especially for) captivity in order for people to become aware of the endangerment of their culture, what would be the moral standing of such an institution?
9. Where do zoos get their animals? What do they do with animals that may no longer be “fit” for display?
10. Many people say captivity is good for zoo animals because they are protected from predators and garaunteed food. Would you opt for imprisonment-- being taken away from family and friends and "natural habitat" (your home, community)-- if you were guaranteed physical safety and food? 

Arboretum:

1.  What were some of the species of plants you found? What are their native habitats and any special features?  Take a few minutes to sit and take in your surroundings--observe the plants and the other people visiting the arboretum. What are some differences between plant and animal life? Do you have any emotional reaction to the plants you saw?  Intellectual reactions? Have there been any important plants or animals in your life?