La familia multiespecieperspectiva teórica y horizonte político social

Abstract

Summary Animals currently occupy an extremely important role in the lives of many people and in society. This social relevance is one of the many reasons why it is necessary to generate quality knowledge regarding the phenomenon of animal rights, and specifically those that live with human beings and are part of the family. In fact, according to data from the latest census of the Spanish Companion Animal Identification Network (REIAC), released by the Madrid Association of Companion Animal Veterinarians (2017), almost 40% of households have at least one of the 20 million pets registered in Spain. The data are very representative but they are not totally reliable because, despite the mandatory identification (registration) of the animal or animals that live in human homes, there are still many that do not have a microchip and therefore do not appear in any registry. Consequently, it is estimated that there are many more than the figures actually show. Even so, the data of the animals in the houses contrasts radically with the information offered by the Population Census prepared by the National Institute of Statistics (Bono, 2019) which, with data from 2018, reveals that there are currently 7,260 in Spain. 000 children and adolescents under 16 years of age. In other words, there are more and more animals in human dwellings than minors, raising many questions about ethical and political questions about the future of our society. However, this social phenomenon is not only relevant due to the high figures regarding their presence in Spanish homes, but the role they occupy in our lives is also important. There are already many studies that talk about the close link between "pets" and human beings, which even becomes so strong that they are increasingly recognized as active members of the family. This has given rise to various scientific investigations in which many authors base and cement this new social paradigm. From ethical and legal approaches such as the works of Singer (2018), Regan (1983) or De Mello (2012) to others in which it can be said that non-human animals are incorporated and configured as members of the family (Faraco, 2010, Díaz, 2015, Jardim, Disconzi and Silveira, 2017; Hernández García, 2018; González Marino, 2019, Acero Aguilar, 2019). The purpose of the doctoral thesis is to delve into the structure of this new family model: the multispecies, established between human beings and non-human animals, both in its positive and negative aspects and therefore, in the social demands and in the Needs that must be considered from the Social Policy.