The Bear: Culture, Nature, Heritage

Description

Bears are iconic animals, playing a variety of roles in human culture. They have been portrayed as gods, monsters, kings, fools, brothers, lovers, and dancers; they are seen as protectors of the forest; symbols of masculinity; a comfort for children; and act as symbols for conservation and environmental issues. They also symbolise wilderness, reinforcing and maintaining our connection to the natural world. And stories abound of cultures that gathered berries in the same fields as bears and fished on the same rivers; consequently a wealth of myths, legends and folklore has informed us of our place in the world and the deep connection we have with bears. The essays collected here provide a rich selection of views on the human/bear relationships. They explore how bears are an influence in contemporary art, and how they are represented in the illustrations in children's literature and in museum exhibitions. The connection between bears and native peoples, and how contemporary society lives alongside these animals, provides an understanding of current attitudes and approaches to bear management and conservation. The history of captive bears is brought into contemporary relief by considering the fate of captive bears held in Asian countries for bile production. Other pieces look at how bears feature in gay culture, and are an intrinsic component to researchon the Yeti and Sasquatch. Together, these articles present an insight into the changing face of attitudes towards nature, species survival and the significance of conservation engagement in the twenty-first century. Biologists, historians, anthropologists, cultural theorists, conservationists and museologists will all find riches in the detail presented in this bear cornucopia. Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Foreword: The Bear: A Cultural and Natural Heritage • Barrie K. Gilbert Introduction: What is a Bear? • Owen T. Nevin, Ian Convery, Peter Davis, John Kitchin and Melanie Clapham Bear-People Interactions 1 The Spirit Bear • Philip Charles 2 Out of the Wild Wood and into our Beds: The Evolutionary History of Teddy Bears and the Natural Selection of Deadly Cuteness • Mike Jeffries 3 Bears within the Human Landscape: Cultural and Demographic Factors Influencing the Use of Bear Parts in Cambodia and Laos • Elizabeth O Davis and Jenny Anne Glikman 4 Bears in Gay Culture: Histories, Discourses and Anthropomorphism • Gareth Longstaff 5 Bears, Wildmen, Yeti and Sasquatch • Jeff Meldrum 6 Bears in Children’s Literature • Tracy Hayes, Heather Prince and Ian Convery 7 Knowing Individual Bears • Owen T. Nevin, Ian Convery and John Kitchin Bears in the Public Gaze 8 Bears Behind Bars: Captive Bears Throughout History • Koen Cuyten and Ian Convery 9 The Bear in the Museum • Peter Davis 10 Museum Polar Bears and Climate Change • Henry McGhie 11 On the Oblique Imperative: What Revealing Conceals and Concealing may Reveal • Mark Wilson and Bryndis Snæbjörnsdóttir 12 Visitations: The Social and Cultural History of Polar Bear Narratives in Iceland and the North Atlantic • Kristinn Schram and Jón Jónsson Bear Biology, Management and Conservation 13 Chemical Signalling in Brown Bears • Melanie Clapham, Owen T. Nevin and Ian Convery 14 Reducing Uncertainty in Bear Management • Sarah Elmeligi, Owen T. Nevin and Ian Convery 15 Living with Bears in Europe • Miha Krofel 16 Citizen Science and Bears • Sarah Elmeligi, Owen T. Nevin and Ian Convery 17 Understanding Local Folklore and Attitudes in Apennine Brown Bear Conservation • Jenny Anne Glikman and Beatrice Frank 18 Reducing Human Impacts on Andean Bears in NW Peru Through Community-based Conservation • Samantha A Young, Russell C Van Horn and Jenny Anne Glikman Afterword: ‘It’s Me Bear’: Reflections on a Unique Career Working with Bears • Lynn Rogers List of Contributors Index Previous titles