Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior

— —

Ambika Kamath Melina Packer

Feminism in the Wild

How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior

Ambika Kamath, Melina Packer

$49.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

MIT Press
15 April 2025

Feminism & feminist theory; Animal behaviour

How dominant culture-from sexism and homophobia to racism, capitalism, ableism, and more-has limited the science of animal behavior, and how we can free ourselves from these limited perspectives.

How dominant culture-from sexism and homophobia to racism, capitalism, ableism, and more-has limited the science of animal behavior, and how we can free ourselves from these limited perspectives.

In Feminism in the Wild, Ambika Kamath and Melina Packer reveal how scientists studying animal behavior have long projected human norms and values onto animals while seeking to understand them. When scientific studies conclude that these norms and values are natural in animals, it makes it easier to think of them as natural in humans too. And because scientists, historically and to this day, largely belong to elite, powerful segments of society, the norms and values embedded in animal behavior science match those of the already powerful. How can animal behavior science escape this trap of naturalizing dominant culture?

Drawing from decades of feminist, antiracist, queer, disability justice, and Marxist contributions-including those of biologists-Kamath and Packer break down persistent assumptions in the status quo of animal behavior science and offer a multitude of alternative approaches. Core concepts in animal behavior science and evolutionary biology-from sex categories and sexual selection to fitness, adaptation, biological determinism, and more-are carefully contextualized and critically reexamined. This unique collaboration between an animal behavior scientist and a feminist science studies scholar is an illuminating and hopeful read for anyone who is curious about how animals behave, and anyone who wants to break free from scientific approaches that perpetuate systems of oppression.

By: Ambika Kamath, Melina Packer
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9780262049634
ISBN 10: 0262049635
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 15 April 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ambika Kamath is trained as a behavioral ecologist and evolutionary biologist. She lives, works, and grows community in Oakland, California, on Ohlone land. Melina Packer is Assistant Professor of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, on Ho-Chunk Nation land. She is the author of Toxic Sexual Politics- Toxicology, Environmental Poisons, and Queer Feminist Futures.

Reviews for Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior

""Kamath and Packer explore how science has long projected human norms onto animal behavior and use feminist, queer and disability theories to challenge this oppressive practice."" —Ms. ""A very important, fascinating, and wide-ranging book."" —Psychology Today