Michael Hathaway (Simon Fraser University)

Over the last few decades, scholars from several disciplines have shown increasing interest in moving beyond anthropocentric studies to explore how animals have played a role in their own right in shaping larger social and historical outcomes. At present, China studies scholars have just begun this work. Dr. Hathaway’s talk describes some of these efforts and introduces his own studies on how wild elephants motivate and challenge international conservation efforts, as well as how a wild mushroom is shaping an important part of the rural economy in Southwest China, thus expanding attention beyond our animal kin.