Can animals sing? On birdsong, music and meaning

Yan, Hektor K. T.

  2013  Can animals sing? On birdsong, music and meaning. Social Science Information
52(2):272-286.


This article deals with conceptual questions regarding claims to the effect that
humans and animals share artistic abilities such as the possession of music. Recent
works focusing on animals, from such as Hollis Taylor and Dominique Lestel, are
discussed. The attribution of artistic traits in human and animal contexts is
examined by highlighting the importance of issues relating to categorization and
evaluation in cross-species studies. An analogy between the denial of major
attributes to animals and a form of racism is drawn in order to show how questions
pertaining to meaning can impact on our understanding of animal abilities. One of
the major theses presented is that the question of whether animals possess music
cannot be answered by a methodology that is uninformed by the way concepts such as
music or art function in the context of human life: the ascription of music to
humans or non-humans is a value-laden act rather than a factual issue regarding how
to represent an entity. In order to see how humans and animals share a life in
common, it is necessary to come to the reflective realization that how human beings
understand themselves can impact on their perception and experience of human and
non-human animals.

received via EANTH-List.- Complete mail content:

On 1/06/2014, at 7:19 AM, Abraham Heinemann wrote:

> Not sure how to reply to these lists but here goes:
> 
> Thanks Guys for the Pigeon pointer (Hoon Song's stuff) ! It is definitely one of
my faves :))
> James Siegel: Thanks for the feedback, unfortunately when Cyprus is referred too
it usually means simply the southern part which is not what Cyprus amounts too. I
am primarily focusing on the Northern half - which currently according to my
fieldwork before proper analysis could be said to be better off than it would be
under EU regulations - or proper regulation as many would assume comes under the
EU. I would love to have a chat if you have any in-situ experience or friends
there? 
> 
> And yes the term 'hunting' is one batted around in english language to refer to
many things - but I have yet to find any versions that are 'actually' more
romantic than others as implied - whether or not we/they/some might consider
certain versioms to be so. But that is precisely one of the things I will unpick
:) Would appreciate any info you might have to share on the subject.
> 
> Cheers
> Abraham
> 
> 
> On 30 May 2014 00:12, James Siegel <jimmyjsiegel@gmail.com> wrote:
> They kill a lot of migrating birds in Cyprus for "sport" and also migratory
songibirds for food.  I am not sure I would grace it with the term hunting - I
would call it simply killing birds.  It is not sustainable and many species are
declining under the pressure of lots of armed men in the entire region.
>  
> Jim Siegel
> US Fish and Wildlife Service
> Shepherdstown, WV 
> 
> On Tue, May 27, 2014 at 9:48 AM, Abraham Heinemann <kb422@kent.ac.uk> wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> As it says we should introduce ourselves when joining mailing-listş here goes. My
name is Abraham Heinemann and I am a postgraduate in Anthropology at the
University of Kent, UK. I am currently doing fieldwork on hunting in Cyprus and am
interested in talkiıng to anyone doing anthropology related research in the (i)
Eastern Mediterranean region (particularly historical-ecology), (ii) hunting in
Europe, (iii) birds (iv) multispecies ethnography and its alternative names.
> 
> Thanks
> Avi
> 
> -- 
> Also known as a combination of the following:
> 'Khalil Avi Abraham Vernon Betz-Heinemann'
> 
> >Research Profile:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/current-students/research-students/profiles/anthropology%20a-m/heinemann_abraham.html
> >Blog: http://kularing.info/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Also known as a combination of the following:
> 'Khalil Avi Abraham Vernon Betz-Heinemann'
> 
> >Research Profile:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/current-students/research-students/profiles/anthropology/heinemann_abraham.html
> >Blog: http://kularing.info/

Piers Locke PhD
Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Co-Director New Zealand South Asia Centre
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Canterbury
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8140
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piers.locke@canterbury.ac.nz 

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http://www.nzchas.canterbury.ac.nz/people/locke.shtml  

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