[Last modified: October, 6 2024 01:24 PM]
For this project, I am interested in taking a multi-species approach to explore how dog owners experience urban life, in response to the built environment, differently to others (those who do not own a dog).
This topic is important because dog ownership is a large part of many people’s everyday lives, and it is important to understand how this can change people’s relationships to the built environments, and subsequently their routines, identities and perspectives on life. This topic is anthropological in that it explores the relationships between people and the urban environment, as well as people and their dogs. This topic is ethnographic in that it has the potential to illuminate how dog ownership can transform the daily lives of individuals.
Proposed Research Questions:
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- `Does dog ownership alter the daily routines of individuals? If so, how does this change their perception of/relationship to their built environment?
- Does dog ownership encourage people to spend more time outside, specifically in urban greenspaces? If so, does this impact how people view their neighbourhoods or broader cityscape?
- Does dog ownership illuminate barriers to access within the urban environment, and/or open up new opportunities within it?
- Does dog ownership encourage or hinder new social interactions within the urban environment?
For this project, I would propose Regent’s Park as the primary field site, as I have observed many dogs and their owners enjoying the green space. To better understand the relationship between dog owners and the built environment, I would also conduct fieldwork in nearby residential area(s).
For this project, methodologically, I would propose a mix of participant observation and semi-structured interviews, as well as a literature review. In this case, participant observation may take the form of observations (such as from a park bench, as I have noticed many dogs and their owners out for walks on the weekend), participating in dog-walking groups, or observing online discourse about owning a dog in London. Semi-structured interviews with dog owners would provide insight into the daily routines of people who own dogs. As well, interviews with those who do not own dogs may provide a contrast from which to draw observations about the differences that owning a dog may generate.
In terms of ethics, I would make sure to follow all guidelines when conducting participant observation and interviews by assuring full and informed permission and maintaining confidentiality of the information shared with me in both my field notes and my writing. I would not anticipate this project being high-risk to those I would be working with.
I would anticipate that this project would reveal that dog ownership changes people’s relationships with their environment by:
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- Increasing the amount of time spent outdoors, specifically in urban green spaces
- Increasing dog owners awareness of environmental hazards, as well as other people
- Increasing dog owners awareness of barriers to access, such as transporting the dog(s)
- Changing dog owners social interactions with others (in ways that would otherwise be unchanged without the addition of the dog):
- Possibility and notice of positive interactions with children or others who like dogs in public spaces, AND
- Possibility and notice of negative interactions with those who do not like, or fear dogs, in public spaces
