Toxic zombie death machines: A love story

Author: Jeremy Anderson – Otago University, New Zealand

In New Zealand we are in the middle of a national debate about cats because we have ‘a cat problem’. This debate sits within a broader national conservation goal to be mammalian pest free by 2050.

Violent metaphors, and the positioning of cats as ‘invasive species’ and ‘immigrant killers’ not only removes our human agency in their worldwide distribution, but sets up dualisms of wild vs domestic, native vs introduced, and pets vs pests, when our relationship with the domestic cat is more complex than these simple dualities allow.

My thesis examines the language used to communicate the many problems our domestic cats pose, and the benefits to Science Communication when storytelling, rather than violent military metaphors, are used in our communication strategies.

In five minutes, I will present two stories that illustrate the effectiveness of storytelling and offer you the choice of warfare or welfare.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Speakers’ corner
Theme: Stories
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices