The Politics of Gaze: Interpreting Objectification in Animal Studies

Abstract

There exists perpetually a huge gap in perceiving the Other which becomes
problematic when the power equation between the subject and the Other is weighing towards
the subject while the subject occupies the dominant or privileged position. There is an
irrational fear on the part of the dominant group even while they exert power that results from
the limited knowledge of the dominated Other. Such is the relationship between humans and
non-humans where humans exercise their power over the non-human animals and humans are
the gazer while animals become the gazed. Everything about animals is authoritatively laid
down by humans in the anthropocentric world. The way the dominant group looks at the
other is completely prejudiced by their limited understanding of the Other.