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Book Review
| Animal Nation: The True Story of Animals and Australia. By Adrian Franklin. Sydney: University of New South Wales, 2006. viii + 262 pp. Notes, references, index. Paper $30.
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| As a British-born sociologist at the University of Tasmania, Adrian Franklin presents environmental historians with an unusual approach to the study of animals in Australia. Animal Nation is a provocative work, in the sense both that it provokes reflection and because at times it is contentious—there is a great deal with which I would argue. |
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This is a broad sociologically based analysis of Australian attitudes toward and beliefs about animals, both Aboriginal (traditional and contemporary) and mainstream non-Aboriginal Australians. Franklin provides an interesting perspective on a range of issues relating to how animals—both indigenous and introduced—have been regarded, mythologized, and incorporated into Australian culture. In particular, I found his elucidation of Emile Durkheim's Australian interests and his reading of indigenous Australians' totemism and relationships with animals fascinating. His study highlights the often contradictory stances between animal rights and environmental protection, points out the complexities associated with white suburbanites and their pets, and discusses ongoing controversies about the fate of 'wild' animals including dingoes, brumbies (wild horses), and feral cats. Franklin's experiences as an immigrant coming to grips with these cultural issues and learning about Australian nature offer an insightful perspective. Of particular interest are the results of a national survey of Australian attitudes to animals which he undertook, and here outlines. |
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