Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism

Department or School/College

Journalism

Committee Chair

Denise Dowling

Commitee Members

Soazig Le Bihan, Breanna McCabe

Keywords

animal minds, animal behavior, consciousness, honeybees, chickens, gray wolves

Subject Categories

Behavior and Ethology | Broadcast and Video Studies | Evolution | Film Production | Journalism Studies | Philosophy of Mind

Abstract

Animals are unable to self-report their experiences to humans, and until recently, animal minds have remained shrouded in mystery. A new field of science is emerging in which researchers, determined to uncover what it means to be another species, have turned their attention to the inner lives of creatures both great and small. Through clever behavioral tests and careful observation, they seek signs of decision-making, self-awareness, and emotion in their study organisms, and what they are finding has profound implications for animal welfare.

This 26-minute documentary film will explore the evidence for consciousness and sentience in three distinct species: honeybees, Cornish cross chickens, and gray wolves. It seems we are living in a world where far more animals are capable of thinking, feeling, and suffering than Western society currently acknowledges. How might this information change the way we view the animals in an ecosystem or treat the animals in our care?

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© Copyright 2024 Jocelyn Doty Harris