S9E7: Fieldwork and Affect with Michael Glover

Historian Michael Glover talks about what it takes to write animal history that treats cows as sentient subjects while still meeting the standards of rigorous scholarship. He unpacks how fieldwork with cows in the Karoo affected his writing.   Topics Covered:  Michael’s path into animal history through South African landscapes   The methodological gap in writing historical animals as subjects  Historical ethnography as a way of rebuilding past worlds from documents and artefacts  Spending 30 days with free-roaming Nguni cattle as an “amateur observer”  Using field experience to write more feelingly without forcing direct anachronistic comparisons  Why “cattle” is a compromised word and how language can erase individuality  Accountability in writing, values in scholarship, and avoiding ad hominem dismissal  Animal highlight on beavers, the fur trade, and shifting colonial valuations Date Recorded: 13 April 2026 Michael Glover is a postdoctoral fellow at the International Studies Group, University of the Free State. He is an associate fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and a member of the Australisian Animal Studies Association. He has co-edited an anthology, Animals as Experiencing Entities: Theories and Historical Narratives (2024), and published a monograph, Cattle's Experiences of Colonialism: An Animal History of Southern Africa (2026). Featured:  Animals as Experiencing Entities: Theories and Historical Narratives by Michael Glover Cattle's Experiences of Colonialism: An Animal History of Southern Africa by Michael Glover What Would Animals Say If We Asked the Right Questions? by Vinciane Despret Animal Oppression and Human Violence by David Nibert Elephants on the Edge by G.A Bradshaw News with Shatabdi Chakrabarti, Jessica Scott-Reid, and Jan Dutkiewicz on The Animal Turn Bovine Scholarship Network Valued Beavers on Stones  Signal Group Quote:  "At moments when stuck or struggling over a passage or concept, I would stop and ask: 'What would you say if an elephant were standing right in front of you listening? What would you say that is honest and would not make you feel ashamed?'" – G.A Bradshaw, Elephants on the Edge Credits: Sponsor: Animals in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Ethics (A.P.P.L.E) Guests: Michael Glover Host: Claudia Hirtenfelder Editing and Production: Claudia Hirtenfelder Episode Artwork: Rebecca Shen Content Creation and Support: Herre de Bondt and Carlo Salzani Animal Highlight: Stones Walking Tour Sound Effects: Epidemic Sound, BBC Sound Effects Bed Music: Gordon Clarke Logo: Jeremy John Save the World Podcast In-depth lectures and interviews on issues affecting the continued survival of human... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify A.P.P.L.E Animals in Politics, Law, and Ethics researches how we live in interspecies societies and polities. iROAR Network iROAR brings together podcasts that aim is to make the world a better place for animals. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show The Animal Turn is hosted and produced by Claudia Hirtenfelder and is part of the  iROAR Network. Learn more on our website.