Karin Dirke Professor
Contact
Name and title: Karin DirkeProfessor
Phone: +468162015
Workplace: Department of Culture and Aesthetics Länk till annan webbplats.
Visiting address Room A 358Frescativägen 22B-26
Postal address Institutionen för kultur och estetik106 91 Stockholm
About me
I am a professor in History of Ideas at the Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University. My work has mainly concerned different aspects of human/animal-studies and I have published a number of works within the field. I lead the Human/Animal-studies network at Stockholm university (HAS@SU) and I am a co-founder of the Environmental Humanities Network at Stockholm university. From 2018, in collaboration with environmental humanities-colleagues, I run the new research school in Environmental Humanities at Stockholm University.
My scholarly work has mainly concerned the relationship between humans and animals in history. The dissertation De Värnlösas vänner (Defenders of the Defenceless; The Swedish animal welfare movement 1875-1920), which was published in 2000 (in Swedish with an English summary) explored the foundation and early development of the Swedish animal welfare societies. I have since published articles on different aspects of anthropomorphism and the historic relationship between humans and animals, both wild and domestic.
My research mainly involves Swedish source material from the 18th century until the 20th century, with emphasis on the late 19th century. I am especially interested in more-than-human encounters and what they mean in history. I have investigated the 19th century discussions about wolves and other large carnivores, most recently in an article in the volume Shared Lives of Humans and Animals; Animal Agency in the Global North (Routledge; 2017).
Attempting to ascertain the meaningful contexts that have shaped humanity's relationship with animals is particularly intriguing. This is something I explore, among other things, in the chapter "Happy cows – unravelling contexts of Swedish farmed animals" in the volume Animal Industries (De Gruyter; 2024).