Relating animals: Feminism and our connections with nonhumans. Humanity and Society 31(4): 305–318

In this paper, I explore the intersections between feminism and thinking about (nonhuman) animals. My premise is that animals matter to our politics, not only for themselves, but also for how we think about our own world. I consider three aspects of such intersecting: first, considering animals is important in terms of global environmental concerns because oppression of animals is linked profoundly to how we treat nature in general. Second, although animals seldom enter feminist thought, I argue that how animals are figured matters a great deal to feminism, not least because how we think about them is so mired in problematic dualities of nature/culture and body/mind. Third, I emphasise relationships and relationality—in this case, between humans and our nonhuman kin. This offers, I believe, not only a better way of understanding how embedded in our society are many animals, but also a route to a more inclusive ethics and politics. REFLEXIVE STATEMENT I have been actively involved in the Women's Movement for thirty years, as well as with lesbian activism. Through these commitments to reform, I became involved academically with teaching and research in Women's Studies, both in the community and in the University. But all through my life, I have lived with animals, studied animal behaviour and have been active in developing the field of Human/Animal Studies. Now (semi) retired, I do research and teaching in Animal Studies/Welfare, especially relating to horses, which gives me ample justification to spend plenty of time with my own beloved horses and dogs. am old enough to remember the euphoria of the women's liberation movement in the 1970s; political activism, we thought, would change women's position in the world. Quite soon, the women's movement had to lose that naivety as more and more voices questioned its largely ivory tower complacency and its specificity in social class and race. What feminism has had