An Introduction to Veterinary Humanities

This book provides the first introduction to veterinary humanities for students, veterinary professionals and others with an interest in the veterinary sector. While medical humanities has been an established discipline for fifty years, embedded in medical training, veterinary humanities are only now beginning to achieve the same recognition. Yet the perspectives offered by the humanities and social science can help veterinary workers to better understand and negotiate the issues of human behaviour that so challenge the veterinary field today. Written by an interdisciplinary mix of authors interested in the veterinary humanities, including veterinary professionals and social scientists, this book offers a wide-ranging set of introductory essays. It is grouped within the two overarching themes of ‘Care’ and ‘Professionalism’. Contributions discuss a variety of subthemes, such as end of life care or professional identity, from a variety of personal viewpoints and academic disciplines, introducing new perspectives to the reader and thereby providing them with the tools to facilitate their professional development and contextualise their own understanding of these complex topics.