ANIMAL REPRESENTATIONS IN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. A case study at the zoo of Slottsskogen in Sweden

Abstract

Zoos are places that most people know and have probably been to at some point in their lives. Today's zoos claim to contribute to people's understanding of animals, nature, and sustainability issues through their education of various kinds. This is a qualitative case study with the aim to investigate how a zoo in Sweden constructs and represents its animals through educational activities, but also how their goals and values are reflected in their work with education. The study is carried out with collected material from interviews with zoo staff as well as observation of educational activities and information from policy documents and other texts in the zoo such as signs with educational information. The study is based on critical theory with a post-anthropocentric perspective and uses the theory of social representations by Moscovici, as well as Immanent critique which originates from Hegel. The study presents problematic tendencies in the zoo's way of representing animals, where anthropocentrism characterizes the education. The study also highlights a contradictory logic that the zoo uses to justify educational activities with live animals.