Counter-discourses and the relationship between humans and other animals

Several recent studies have critically analyzed discourses involved in the oppression and exploitation of nonhuman animals, including those of the meat industry and zoos. This article turns the spotlight oil counter-discourses, such as those of ecology and animal liberation, to ask if the alternatives they promote have the potential to contribute towards more harmonious relationships between humans and other animals. Despite their extreme importance in opposing oppressive discourses, the counter-discourses frequently share some of the basic assumptions of the discourses they criticize.