School of Sociology and Social Policy
 

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Natalia Ciecierska-Holmes

Postgraduate Research Student,

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Biography

I am on a joint PhD program between the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham. I received an MA in European Studies from the University of Bath and the Humboldt University Berlin, graduating with distinction in 2018. To prepare for my PhD project, I completed a second MA in Social Science Research Training at the Humboldt University. My MA studies predominantly focused on environmental politics, alternative food networks and human-nature relations. I am now expanding my interests in alternative food and diets to explore feeding non-human companion animals.

Teaching Summary

Social science research methods

Research Summary

Project title: Raw Feeding for Dogs in the UK and Australia: A Social and Ethical Cross-Cultural Comparison

This inter-disciplinary project explores the phenomenon of feeding raw meat-based diets to dogs, which has become increasingly popular in recent years. By examining the values and practices of raw feeders who themselves eat plant-based diets, it seeks to understand the social and ethical aspects of decision-making around food and health. Adopting a qualitative comparative approach and more-than-talk methodologies, the empirical fieldwork involves feeding diaries and online interviews with dog guardians in the UK and Australia. The project is relevant for the role of human-companion animal relations in shifting dietary practices in the Anthropocene, which is of interest to veterinary professionals, One Health organisations, and those promoting animal welfare.

School of Sociology and Social Policy

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