Emerging body of literature in human-animal studies and post-humanism illuminates everyday emotional and affective entanglements and engagements between humans and both domesticated and wild animals.One such manifestation of this entanglement can be observed in the increasing prevalence of pet keeping among urban populations in South Asia. Contrary to the expectations of an anthropocentric frame, these relationships are emotionally rich and rewarding for both parties involved. Through various forms of expression, including social media posts, extravagant spending, and the reorganization of daily routines around pets, pet owners demonstrate the centrality of their animals to their emotional lives.
This study aims to explore the emotional dimensions of becoming a pet owner and the affective entanglements that arise from living with a pet. Rather than solely focusing on the intrepid affectivity of unconditional love, the study will examine the complex emotional expressions and responses of pets, which are central to recognizing their agency. The study recognizes the emotional vulnerability underlying this relationship and seeks to shed light on the emotional complexities of human-pet relationships by exploring how social location and cultural milieu influence the emotional expression of animals.
This study proposes a methodological reframing that moves beyond a substantialist perspective that imagines a prior separation between the constituting elements and their relations. Instead, the study suggests examining emotions through a relational frame that recognizes the interdependent and affective nature of the human-pet relationship. By doing so, this study contributes to the broader discourse in anthropology and sociology on the emotional dimensions of human-animal relationships and highlights the need to re-examine traditional notions of animal/human divides in light of new insights into the emotional complexities of such relationships.
