Sex, death, and alienation: the burdened history of classroom pets in the American curriculum

Abstract

ABSTRACT While both human-animal studies (HAS) and explorations of the educative potential of animals in classrooms have exploded in recent decades, the different roles served by classroom pets in the history of the American curriculum have received scant critical attention. Pets were a central feature of family life since the founding of the American Republic, but primary sources in American education lack a systematic coverage of classroom pets. It was not until later in the twentieth century that more focused attention was given to classroom pets within the curriculum as a means of navigating difficult and contentious subject matter – through sex education, death education, and in helping alleviate student alienation. Classroom pets ultimately served as authentic beasts of burden in helping teachers navigate heavy subject matter often outside of their comfort zones. This article aims to illustrate these particular roles within the American curriculum through current HAS perspectives and inquiries.