Co-dwelling, Mix-dwelling and Dis-dwelling: The Diversity Among Three Human and Livestock Dwelling Forms in Rural China

Abstract

Humans and livestock have always dwelling together, especially in rural areas. Based on a multi-method approach of ethnographic fieldwork, grounded theory and one-way multivariate analysis of variance, this paper explores human and livestock dwelling. The findings show that human and livestock dwelling form a special type of human dwelling place, with forms defined as co-, mix- and dis-dwelling. Then, from co-, mix- to dis-dwelling constructed a story line to the evolution of human and livestock dwelling forms, which further explains the entire dwelling situation of humans and livestock, including the dimensions of human dweller, livestock dweller, the rural environment and special events. Among co-, mix- and dis-dwelling significant differences existed between human and livestock individuals, the nature of rural environment, vernacularity and rural tourism development. Between co- and dis-dwelling, significant differences existed in seventeen aspects; between mix- and dis-dwelling, significant differences existed in eleven aspects; meanwhile, no significant differences existed between co- and mix-dwelling. Accordingly, this suggested that human and livestock dwelling forms can be divided into mix- and dis-dwelling. This study on humans and livestock dwelling relationship offer a new perspective on rural and animal geography. This paper is an exploratory foray into rural dwelling geography as part of the Anthrozoology study and broadens the scope of extant scholarship on human dwelling morphology, as well as analyses the spatial relationships between human and livestock dwelling.