American zoo
Subtitle: a sociological safari
By: David Grazian
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 335
ISBN-13: 9780691164359
Subjects: Captive wild animals; Zoos; Wildlife conservation; Employees; Zoo animals; Animal welfare; History
Description: "Trading in his tweed jacket for a zoo uniform and a pair of muddy workboots, Grazian introduces us to zookeepers and animal rights activists, parents and toddlers, and the other human primates that make up the zoo's social world. He shows that in a major shift away from their unfortunate pasts, American zoos now emphasize naturalistic exhibits teeming with lush and immersive landscapes, breeding programs for endangered pasts, and enrichment activities for their captive creatures. In doing so, zoos blur the imaginary boundaries we regularly use to separate culture from nature, humans from animals, and civilization from the wild."--Book jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-314) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction : the world in a zoo --; title: Where the wild things aren't : exhibiting nature in American zoos --; title: Animal farm : making meaning at the zoo --; title: Birds of a feather : zookeepers and the call of the wild --; title: Life lessons : the zoo as a classroom --; title: Bring on the dancing horses : American zoos in the entertainment age --; title: Simply nature : zoos and the branding of conservation --; title: Wrestling with armadillos : animal welfare and the captivity question --; title: The urban jungle : the future of the American zoo.