Staff
Dr. Samantha Hurn
01570 434734
I have a BA (Hons) in Ancient History and Social Anthropology from University College London, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Marketing (Chartered Institute of Marketing) and a PhD in Social Anthropology (UCL).
Research Interests
My primary research interests lie in cross-cultural interactions between humans and non-human animals (Anthrozoology) with a regional focus on Southern Africa (Swaziland, the Cape Peninsula and Limpopo Province in South Africa) and Europe (especially rural Andalusia, Spain and Wales, UK). I am also interested in issues of anthropological methodology and ethics. My research falls into the Research Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology’s Key Research Areas as follows:
Landscape & Environment
I have been conducting fieldwork in rural Wales for the past 8 years. While much of my research has been concerned with indigenous animals (especially Welsh Cobs), I am also interested in what I refer to as the 'equine diaspora' - in other words, non-native horses who are bred in the area, in particular the Arabian and Akhal Teke breeds. I am working with informants who are involved with the sport of Endurance racing (long distance riding), looking at the training methods and holistic management systems used to prepare these different breeds (Arabs, Akhal Tekes and the Welsh Cob/ Welsh part-breds) for competition.
During summer 2008 I conducted fieldwork in Southern Africa looking into issues of primate conservation (South Africa) and the conservation of endangered ungulates (Swaziland). This research was primarily concerned with investigating conflicting attitudes to non-human animals viewed as ‘pests’ on the Cape Peninsula (chacma baboons) and Limpopo Province (vervet monkeys), and considering the efficacy of education programmes in place in game reserves and sanctuaries throughout Southern Africa.
My doctoral research focused on the way in which the environment and local landscapes are experienced by hunters, farmers and horse owners. I am also concerned with the husbandry and selective breeding of domesticated animals (horses and sheep) in response to specific environmental conditions, and am editor of the peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal NES Journal of Equine Studies.
Cultural Politics
During my fieldwork in Southern Africa I was an anthropological consultant for The Great Primate Handshake – a volunteer-based conservation tour which aimed to utilize digital media to benefit primate sanctuaries - and as such was charged with investigating the efficacy of digital media in raising awareness of the conservation issues presented by South African primates – this is an ongoing project, and I am in the process of writing up the provisional findings. We are currently recruiting volunteers who would like to form part of the 2009 anthropology team visiting Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Further details about this trip can be found by clicking here.
I am interested in medical anthropology on two levels. Firstly, in the use of non-human animals in animal assisted therapy. This interest developed during The Great Primate Handshake, where I encountered non-human animals in therapeutic roles, especially the use of overly habituated and/or physically or mentally damaged primates (who therefore couldn’t be re-released) for a range of mutually beneficial programmes. Consequently, this is an area which I will revisit during the 2009 Handshake. Inspired by my provisional findings, back home in the UK I am starting to investigate the therapeutic roles of non-human animals in other contexts, including assessing the implications for health and morale of interacting with animals in the workplace.
This image shows a volunteer at the Vervet Monkey Foundation interacting with a ‘sick’ vervet monkey in the sanctuary’s ‘sick bay’. Aside from helping to rehabilitate the monkeys, this interaction had a significant impact on the psychological wellbeing of the human volunteers…
I have recently embarked on an investigation of alternative approaches to healing horses, including herbal medicine and the use of animal psychics or spiritual healers.
My past research considered cross-cultural interactions between humans and non-human animals in Wales and other parts of Europe (especially rural Andalusia), looking specifically at the cultural politics of ‘recreational’ hunting (doctoral research) and the participation or engagement of non-human animals in other ceremonial contexts, e.g. showing (UK), and Feria (Spain).
I have also conducted research (collecting oral narratives) which explores the mythology of non-endemic big cat predations in the UK and am particularly interested in comparative attitudes towards non-human animal agency. This research was published in the February 2009 issue of Anthropology Today and I was invited to talk about my findings on the BBC Radio 4 programme Thinking Allowed. Further details and the interview itself can be found in the Thinking Allowed Archive
I have conducted research on conflicting attitudes towards the lives (and deaths) of non-human animals (notably cattle) following the death of Shambo, the sacred bull who formerly resided at the local Skanda Vale ashram. This research was presented at an interdisciplinary research panel with colleagues from Lampeter’s department of Theology & Religious Studies; Dr. Maya Warrier and Dr. Sarah Boss.
Material Culture
My previous research has considered domesticated animals as cultural artefacts, and looked specifically at the relationship between native Welsh ponies and Cobs and rural Welsh cultural identity. I have also conducted research at horse auctions and at agricultural shows, considering the commoditization and exchange of ‘livestock’ as examples of material culture. I am particularly interested in the ways in which animals and the environment are represented in the work of several prominent Welsh artists.
Association of Social Anthropologists Annual Conference 2009
I recently convened a panel on human interactions with non-human animals with my new colleague Dr. Piers Locke, with Dr. Penny Dransart as discussant, at the 2009 ASA conference. The panel consisted of a wide range of interesting papers and resulted in a lively and informative debate between panel participants and audience members. Our panel abstract was entitled ‘Humans and other animals’. For more information on the ASA conference, and to see abstracts from the panel please visit the ASA website.
Recent Publications
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘Here there be dragons? No, big cats! Predator symbolism in rural West Wales’ Anthropology Today. Volume 25 (1).
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘The ‘Cardinauts’ of the Western coast of Wales: Exchanging and exhibiting horses in the pursuit of fame’ Journal of Material Culture. Volume 13 (3). This paper won the JMC student bursary in June 2006.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It? The Interplay of Sex and Gender in the Commercial Breeding of Welsh Cobs’ Society & Animals. 16 (1)
Hurn, S. (2007) ‘Cultural Conditioning: Constructions of equine obesity amongst Welsh cob exhibitors’ NES Journal of Equine Studies. Volume 2: 33 - 36
Hurn, S. (2006) ‘Horse culture? An alternative view of equine welfare’ NES Journal of Equine Studies. Volume 1: 32 – 38
Forthcoming Publications
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘Humans and other animal in the work of Anna Lucas: Conversation with the artist’ Holy Hiatus: Ritual and Community in Public Art. Conference Proceedings. (in-press)
Hurn, S. (forthcoming monograph) Clan of the Fox. Hunting sub-culture in a rural Welsh farming community (under review).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming monograph) The Great Primate Handshake: Environmental Anthropology on the Move (under review).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article) ‘Predator symbolism: An ethnographic insight into farmer/fox relations in contemporary West Wales’ (under review)
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article) ‘Bois y cobs. The place of autochthonous horses in rural Welsh cultural identity’. (under review).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article) ‘Why they couldn’t save Shambo: The story of a sacred bull in a secular society’ (under review)
Hurn, S. forthcoming article) ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth: The trouble with animals in human ceremonial exchanges’ (under review).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming comment) ‘Food for thought. Exploring Food, Connecting Communities and promoting anthropology to boot’ (under review).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article) ‘Eating Organic. Weighing up the cost of healthy living in a rural Welsh community’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Mobile monkey business. Multi-sited fieldwork in African primate sanctuaries’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘The Great Primate Handshake: A post-colonial busman’s holiday.’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Assessing the motivations of international volunteers working with three primate conservation initiatives in South Africa’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Wildlife bingo versus shoot ‘em ups: Evaluating the successes and failures of the educational strategies employed by a selection of African wildlife sanctuaries and reserves’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article) ‘The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. A comparative look at environmental conservation in South Africa and Swaziland’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Connecting with your inner monkey. Intersubjectivity and inter-species healing in a South African primate sanctuary’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Walking with monkeys – the importance of positive close encounters for challenging perceptions about transgressive and endangered wildlife’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Like herding cats… Baboon monitors as mediators between humans and transgressive wildlife in South Africa’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘In the red. Contrasting attitudes towards nonhuman primates and their conservation status in South Africa and Uganda’ (in preparation).
Hurn, S. (forthcoming article). ‘Open access conservation – the efficacy of digital media in the promotion of African primate sanctuaries’ (in preparation).
Conference papers
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘Ritual, risk and deviance. Coping with bloody hands and broken laws in the wake of the 2004 Hunting Act.’ The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth: The trouble with animals in human ceremonial exchanges’ ASA Annual Conference. Bristol: University of Bristol
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘Shambo in anthropological perspective’ Shambo: An interdisciplinary panel. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2007). ‘Mounted foxhunting in West Wales – a traditional pastime, but not a sport’ Traditional Games, Sports and Pastimes: Folklore Society Conference. University of Sheffield.
Hurn, S. (2007). ‘Bois y cobs : The historical relationship between humans and horses in Ceredigion’ Hanes Llambed. University of Wales, Lampeter
Hurn, S. (2006). ‘Bois y cobs. The place of autochthonous horses in rural Welsh cultural identity’. 21st Century Celts. Truro, Cornwall.
Hurn, S. (2006). ‘Defaid duon: Welsh hunter-pastoralists and the politics of the periphery’. University of Wales, Lampeter. Archaeology & Anthropology Departmental Research Seminar.
Hurn, S. (2006). ‘Peripheral criminals? ‘Hunting’ in the wake of the ban’. Periphery & Policy. Truro, Cornwall.
Hurn, S. (2003). ‘Anthropology and Edgework: Risk taking as a means of ethnographic research’. Future Fields. Oxford.
Hurn, S. (2003). ‘Clan of the fox: Hunting sub-culture and rural identity’ University College London. Anthropology Departmental Research Seminar.
Invited papers
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘Eating Organic. Weighing up the cost of healthy living in a rural Welsh community’ Exploring Food, Connecting Communities (ESRC/RAI event). London: British Museum.
Hurn, S. (2009) ‘The Great Primate Handshake: Environmental Anthropology on the Move’ Archaeology & Anthropology Society. Lampeter: University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘The Great Primate Handshake Anthropological Round-up’ Enterprise Week. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘Humans and animals in the work of Anna Lucas’ Holy Hiatus. Cardigan.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘The ‘Cardinauts’ of the Western coast of Wales: Exchanging and exhibiting horses in the pursuit of fame’ Anthropology Department Research Seminar Series. UCL, London
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘Here there be dragons? No, Big Cats! Mythologizing ABC sightings in rural West Wales’ Archaeology & Anthropology Society. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘Why they couldn’t save Shambo: The story of a sacred cow in a secular society’ Anthrozoology Society. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2008) ‘Horse Culture’ Anthrozoology Society. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Hurn, S. (2007) ‘Bois y cobs : The historical relationship between humans and horses in Ceredigion’ Hanes Llambed. University of Wales, Lampeter
Hurn, S. (2007) ‘In the eye of the beholder: Cross cultural perceptions of the ‘perfect body’’ The Body Programme. University of Wales, Lampeter
Hurn, S. (2007) ‘My Body, mystory: Body, risk and memory’ The Body Programme. University of Wales, Lampeter
Hurn, S. (2006) ‘Anthropology of the Body’ The Body Programme. University of Wales, Lampeter.
Teaching
I am the course convener for the MA in Environmental Anthropology and am in the process of developing an MA in Human-Animal Interactions (Anthrozoology). For more details on these MA programmes please e-mail me: s.hurn@lamp.ac.uk
I am also the convener for the following modules:
Post-Graduate:
Research Methods 1 and 2
Independent Project
Key Debates (Environmental)
Level 5 and 6:
Cultural Politics
Fieldwork Methods & Ethics
Human-Animal Interactions from an Anthropological Perspective
Material Culture and Cultural Identity - The Meaning of ‘Things’
Environmental Anthropology
European Ethnography
Level 4:
Anthropology in Context (Core course for SH Anth, SH Arch & Anth)
Communicating Anthropology
Past & Present: Integrating Archaeology & Anthropology
Level 3 (Foundation Studies):
‘Them & Us’: Identity in Anthropological Perspective
‘Witches, werewolves, sacrifice and spirits’: An anthropology of belief systems and spirituality