American Zoo: A Sociological Safari

(Paperback)

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Orangutans swing from Kevlar-lined fire hoses. Giraffes feast on celebratory birthday cakes topped with carrots instead of candles. Hi-tech dinosaur robots growl among steel trees, while owls watch animated cartoons on old television sets. In American Zoo, sociologist David Grazian takes us on a safari through the contemporary zoo, alive with its m

Reviews

Winner of the 2016 Award for Distinguished Scholarship, Animals and Society Section of the American Sociological Association Winner of the 2015 Athenaeum Literary Award, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia Honorable Mention for the 2016 PROSE Award in Sociology & Social Work, Association of American Publishers "Although there are plenty of books about zoos, zoo ethnographies are a rare treat... Grazian's impressive commitment to understanding zoo workers through everyday encounters adorns his book."--Irus Braverman, Times Literary Supplement "A powerful portrait ... peppered with delicious details."--Barbara Kiser, Nature "Inspiring. [Grazian] makes the reader repeatedly reflect on whether there might be better ways of educating the public and contributing to wildlife conservation."--Matthew Cobb, New Scientist "[American Zoo's] narratives of animal care workers inspire well-deserved laughter and tears."--Library Journal "An engaging account ... discussing some interesting questions: Should large, intelligent mammals such as great apes be confined at all Why are Americans so often concerned about the comfort of zoo animals when they don't worry about the vastly greater number of other caged animals--the ones being prepared for slaughter Beyond entertainment and amusement, what should a zoo's role be regarding environmental protection or species conservation American Zoo is a serious book ... but Grazian's lively, readable prose makes it entertaining as well."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "Grazian has a sharp eye for detail and ethical tensions."--Amanda Gilroy, PopMatters "Zoos aren't places urban-dwelling humans go to see nature, [Grazian] argues--they're places we go to invent nature."--Kelly O'Brien, Boston Globe "The history of zoo design demonstrates that 'natural' enclosures serve humans more than the creatures who live within them. We favor artificial habitats that follow aesthetic expectations about nature rather than purely natural conditions, as the sociologist David Grazian argues in his book American Zoo. They reflect our own fantasies about the animals we gawk at rather than the true needs of these nonhuman others. In the process of meeting our needs, they may erase the true plight of those animals, naturalizing nothing so much as the pretense of our benevolent dominion over nature."--Jacob Brogan, Slate "Sociologist Grazian took his young son on a cross-country excursion to visit more than two dozen zoos and aquariums. He saw that zoos have been transformed in recent years from sad places with cramped, barren cages to more open, expansive exhibits. But he also noted man's strange relationship with the nature."--Chicago Tribune "A shrewd examination of a persistent social institution, a major contribution for rethinking the nature/culture distinction, and a model of how to do and write up an ethnographic study."--Jack Katz, American Journal of Sociology

Author Bio

David Grazian is associate professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Blue Chicago: The Search for Authenticity in Urban Blues Clubs, On the Make: The Hustle of Urban Nightlife, and Mix It Up: Popular Culture, Mass Media, and Society.