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Who we are

CLAN PROJECT

The CLAN project was developed between 2018 and 2022 and funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/SOC 28415/2017).

Affective relationships and practices between children and animals, and the ways in which these are interwoven with other practices, environments and contexts, such as those implied in the act of "caring" for a companion animal. Children and companion animals are considered co-producers of shared worlds, in which the meaning of being a child, and an animal, is jointly constructed and continuously reconfigured.

WHAT DO WE STUDY?

Affective relationships and practices between children and animals, and the ways in which these are interwoven with other practices, environments and contexts, such as those implied in the act of “caring” for a companion animal. Children and companion animals are considered co-producers of shared worlds, in which the meaning of being a child, and an animal, is jointly constructed and continuously reconfigured.
We used qualitative methods to discover more about these relationships and their affective dimensions, in the context of the family and the interaction between children and adults. We lent a voice to the children, asking them to put themselves "in the place" of the companion animal. We also observed the animals in their relationships with the children and the material world that surrounds them.

HOW DID WE DO IT?

We used qualitative methods to discover more about these relationships and their affective dimensions, in the context of the family and the interaction between children and adults. We lent a voice to the children, asking them to put themselves “in the place” of the companion animal. We also observed the animals in their relationships with the children and the material world that surrounds them.
...to some portrayals of life in multispecies families, and the importance of aspects such as the way humans and animals care for each other, even if in distinct ways; the different ways of caring for adults and children; how play is also a means of caring, for children; the way animals influence family dynamics; the impact that the changes families undergo throughout their life cycle have on the lives of animals; the importance of imagination in building a relationship with animals; and the space set aside in children's and adults' hearts for death, mourning and loss. These and other themes have been explored in scientific articles, but also in several products that seek to convey these messages in language that is accessible to all. This Exhibition and its accompanying Catalogue are part of this set of products. Others are the CLAN Film, the CLAN Toolkit, the illustrated CLAN book, or the CLAN short stories. Check the CLAN website for more information on our aims, methods and results.

WHERE DID WE GET TO?

…to some portrayals of life in multispecies families, and the importance of aspects such as the way humans and animals care for each other, even if in distinct ways; the different ways of caring for adults and children; how play is also a means of caring, for children; the way animals influence family dynamics; the impact that the changes families undergo throughout their life cycle have on the lives of animals; the importance of imagination in building a relationship with animals; and the space set aside in children’s and adults’ hearts for death, mourning and loss. These and other themes have been explored in scientific articles, but also in several products that seek to convey these messages in language that is accessible to all. This Exhibition and its accompanying Catalogue are part of this set of products. Others are the CLAN Film, the CLAN Toolkit, the illustrated CLAN book, or the CLAN short stories. Check the CLAN website for more information on our aims, methods and results.
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CLAN PROJECT

WHO WE ARE

  • Who is the team?

    A total of 9 researchers worked on the CLAN project over a period of 4 years, including 1 coordinator, 1 co-coordinator, 2 senior researchers, 2 contracted researchers, 2 scholarship holders and 1 visiting researcher. 7 women and 2 men. 6 from Sociology, 1 from Anthropology, 1 from Design, 1 from Education. 8 from Portugal, 1 from Finland. 4 international consultants (UK and France). Meet the team here.

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CLAN PROJECT

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THE MAKING OF THE CLAN EXHIBITION

Can children put themselves “in the paws” of the animals with whom they share their lives and interpret the world from their viewpoint? This was the exercise that we presented to some of the 24 children who were involved in the CLAN project – Child-Animal Friendships.

The project took place between October 2019 and September 2022. In a first phase, between October 2019 and January 2020, we visited the 24 families, middle-class, urban, living in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, where we interviewed the child and their adult of reference, and observed the animals. In the second phase, in June 2020, we provided 12 of these children with a camera, asking them to take photographs of their pets over the following two weeks.

A set of 762 photos was obtained from this exercise. We visited the children again to talk to them about those shots: what were they doing? Why that one and not another? Which one did they like the most and why? Based on the responses given by the children, we then selected and organised some of these photographs, by themes that we believe are central to understanding child-animal practices. This exercise resulted in 8 galleries that we present here.

FAMILIES RESIDENT IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF LISBON
CHILDREN FROM
8 TO 14 YEARS
COMPANION
ANIMALS
PHOTOS
DURING 6 MONTHS

Download Catalogue - EXPOCLAN

WE PHOTOGRAPHED
WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING AN
ANIMAL HERE AT HOME

Download

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SOCIAL NETWORKS

CONTACTS

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This website was funded by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the framework of project PTDC/SOC-SOC/28415/2017

© CLAN 2022 • Design & Development by Guideline • Illustrations by Clara Venâncio