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The Animal TurnAuthor: Claudia Hirtenfelder
Animals are increasingly at the forefront of research questions Not as shadows to human stories, or as beings we want to understand biologically, or for purely our benefit but as beings who have histories, stories, and geographies of their own. Each season is set around themes with each episode unpacking a particular animal turn concept and its significance therein. Join Claudia Hirtenfelder as she delves into some of the most important ideas emerging out of this recent turn in scholarship, thinking, and being. Language: en-za Genres: Nature, Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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S9E8: World War II and Zoos with John M. Kinder
Episode 8
Monday, 26 October, 2026
John M. Kinder is on the show to discuss World War II and zoos. Together with Claudia the episode touches on how zoos were implicated in the propaganda and the nazification of Europe, how concentration camps had zoos, and some of the devastating day to day decisions that needed to be made about the keeping of captive animals during war time. Topics Covered: John’s pathway from war and society scholarship Zoos as politically fraught spaces The problem of using the Ark as a metaphor to describe zoos. The nazification of zoos and the implication of zoos in rewilding fantasies and racial hierarchiesZoos in concentration camps Wartime zoo logisticsUsing zoo animals to convey messages of fear and patriotism Animal highlight: horses in Kingston, Ontario John M. Kinder is Professor of History and Director of the American Studies Program at Oklahoma State University. He holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, and his research explores the relationship between war and American society since the nineteenth century. He has published three books: Paying with Their Bodies: American War and the Problem of the Disabled Veteran (2015), Service Denied: Marginalized Veterans in Modern American History (2022), and World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age (2025). His latest book, co-edited with historian Jennifer Murray, is titled They Are Dead and Yet They Live: Civil War Memories in a Polarized America and will be published by the University of Nebraska Press in February 2026. He is currently working on three book projects: a cultural history of alligators for the British publisher Reaktion, a true crime history of World War II-era Mississippi, and a co-edited volume about the animal trade and American empire.Featured: World War Zoos by John M. KinderPaying with Their Bodies by John M. KinderThey Are Dead and Yet They Live edited by Edited by John M. Kinder and Jennifer M. MurrayService Denied Edited by John M. Kinder and Jason HggensBabylon’s Ark by Lawrence AnthonyNews with Shatabdi Chakrabarti, Jessica Scott-Reid, and Jan Dutkiewicz on The Animal TurnHorse Poweron Stones Signal GroupCredits:Date Recorded: 18 December 2025Sponsor: Animals in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Ethics (A.P.P.L.E)Guests: John M. Kinder Host: Claudia HirtenfelderEditing and Production: Claudia HirtenfelderEpisode Artwork: Rebecca ShenContent Creation and Support: Herre de Bondt and Carlo SalzaniAnimal Highlight: Stones Walking TourSound Effects: Epidemic SoundBed Music: Gordon ClarkeLogo: Jeremy JohnSave the World PodcastIn-depth lectures and interviews on issues affecting the continued survival of human...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyA.P.P.L.EAnimals in Politics, Law, and Ethics researches how we live in interspecies societies and polities.iROAR NetworkiROAR brings together podcasts that aim is to make the world a better place for animals. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Animal Turn is hosted and produced by Claudia Hirtenfelder and is part of the iROAR Network. Learn more on our website.
