The Changing Place of Non-human Animals in Finnish Society: A Visual Account

Abstract

Abstract Postage stamp imagery reveals how humans see other animals in their society; how this relationship changes over time; and in particular political, economic, and cultural contexts; and what the stamp-issuing state wishes to communicate to its citizens. A qualitative mixed-methods exploration of this overlooked, easily accessible visual data identifies trends and representative examples of human-animal relations in Finnish society during the country’s independence (1917-2016). The empirical discussion strengthens method(olog)ical discussion on visual culture and data in animal studies. The examination shows the value of systematic longitudinal data, the inclusion of both consumer and producer perspectives in the analysis, and engagement with scholarly debates outside animal studies.