Therianthropy Article

[necryn]

Someone has been doing papers on various identity groups. They started with one on the real vampire community, then addressed otherkin, now they've written a paper on therianthropy. By their definition, therianthropes are "individuals who identify as part human and part non-human animal in a biological, mental, and metaphysical capacity."

Unfortunately, I don't have access to the full article, and don't really need to be throwing away the twelve bucks on non-essentials at the moment, but I'm very curious about it. If anyone else gets access, feel free to share a summary and thoughts on the article.

www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/nr.2013.16.3.7

[Ashen]

I dunno how I got it without paying for it but I think I have that somewhere on my computer.. Here's the link to my google drive for anyone interested. I haven't had time to read it myself but will try to sometime this week. docs.google.com/file/d/0B3UA1GML85Tfdkh6aThrbER2N2c/edit?usp=sharing

[violet]

Venetia just signed up to werelist, she also did a paper on 'the beast within' or something like that. You can read that particular paper through her academic profile. I'm unsure as to my opinion on her work right now because I tend to deal in the more quantitative data that comes from applied science. I'm exploring more spiritual and psychological based papers now and I'm struggling to get used to something that seems to me quite abstract. I'm too simplistic sometimes and so I find working with hard data much easier than pondering the spirituality of therianthropy.

[wolfvanzandt]

I've mentioned elsewhere that I don't greatly fault inaccuracies in new sociological research (I've commented on Venetia's paper). I do appreciate having a foot in the door, though.

It's interesting that all these studies (including Dr. Reece's book, Creatures of the Night) are coming out of the religious studies community. Hopefully it'll spark interest in other areas like sociology, anthropology, and (especially) medicine.

Part of my website is collecting as much substantive information I can find. I'm about done with my initial foray into the religious implications of the Community and I think I'll delve into sociology next. That's closer to my own field.

[violet]

I don't know if you're aware wolf but there was an introductory lecture given by trevor addie and anthropology minor at American university. It's available on YouTube. Also there is a new research group (I co-founded) aiming to study therianthropy from all aspects. There are three psychologists, a biology major, myself an animal scientist,though I'm likely to take on a more admin/promotional role considering my troubles right now, and we are trying to encourage fellow academics from the arts through to the more hard science groups to really look at not just the cultural and individual aspects of therianthropy/wereness but exploring potential causes. However I prefer to keep that seperate from my general participation in the community so not many people are aware. I'm happy to discuss it, but like to point out my thoughts and opinions are my own and the team is very professional, hence me keeping those parts seperate.

[Ashen]

You tube lecture is here.. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMEkuOW5pjs&list=LLBJslFmXPbA5EudvUzDvagw

[wolfvanzandt]

Woof! No I didn't knwo about that. I'll watch it. Thanks.

[moonbeam]

Thanks for sharing that with me, Ashen. I realized just now when I went to click on it again that I'd requested permission to view it but then never sent you a message to let you know who I was.

[Ashen]

xD no worries; it should have been open to anyone with the link the first time but I forgot to click one extra button. >.<

[wolfvanzandt]

That's sorta exciting. It's an introductory college lecture by a member of a Therian research group. I think we might have landed on the map, here..........

Here's a link to the group's site:

www.therianthropyresearchgroup.org

[HoC]

You can see Venetia Robertson's academic background as well as her past essays here - sydney.academia.edu/VenetiaRobertson (Also has where you can download the essays for free as well)

She is also working on a second article as well it seems, which is really exciting.

Also, for the lecture, if anyone needs it there is a transcript of the video here - www.therianthropyresearchgroup.org/index.php/about/affiliates/

[twoworlds]

I'd like to see a studies done on those of us that hold back, repress, or flat out deny there were-nature. I've read that there is negative effects from it and would like to see what all and what kinds. It would be a much later in studding us and on top of that finding participants may be difficult because of the nature of the subject. I have meet a few and heard from others therians that "stopped being therians" Usually for misconceptions and whatnot and there are a few of us that want to be "cured." I don't try to convince them otherwise. I went through denial myself and figure that if they really are weres then it will get to where they can't outrun it. That or they will go insane as I have heard some have.

If such a studies was done it might help us deal with mental issues and illness specific to the therian community. But right now all I see in the mental health department regarding us is to be medicated into acting "normal" I personally know a fox who was medicated tell the lights where on but no one was home. I told her to stop taking the meds and seek a different psychiatrist. Thankfully she listened to me and is doing better in that regard. She now takes meds specific to her socal anxieties and is home when the lights are on.

[wolfvanzandt]

I've worked with about 5 Weres in the past with this problem and several more have contacted me via email. The number are dwindling and I'm hoping that Weres are taking instances posted on forums to heart and are finding other ways of interaction with Mainstream society. There have been forum threads on this and a literature review type of study would not be out of the question.

If I get anymore cases like this, I might be able to write them up as anonymous, consensual case histories.

It is something that Mainstream psychology/psychiatry needs to be aware of since some Weres end up in clinical settings for one thing or another, and one thing that might precipitate a crisis is just this thing.

Since I am a psychologist, I can confidently say that most psychologists are willing to learn about new things they might run into in their practice and more Weres are having better results with therapists than they used to.

[Ashen]

Apr 6, 2013 12:53:24 GMT -6 twoworlds said:

I went through denial myself and figure that if they really are weres then it will get to where they can't outrun it. That or they will go insane as I have heard some have.

Pretty much -- I know I had my period of denial and I've never been more miserable and confused in my life. Not to mention anger issues. I strongly believe that for weres - denial is one of the worst things you can do when trying to find ways to cope. After a point it's sort of either go insane, be completely miserable, or accept it for what it is.

It's sad how much professionals just medicate for the sake of medicating.. I've known quite a few people that medications they were forced or told to take have done more harm that the original problem.

[twoworlds]

I'd love if you could help her WVZ. She still needs allot of help. She still trys to deny herself to please others. I think she needs a physiologist that can understand her as she is, not what society wants her to be as her first "psychologist" wanted her to be. But I don't know if she'd even agree even if it could be arranged.

*edit* yeah I also knew a feline who was also drugged, she is like me in that she knew she was being impaired wile basically high on the drugs she was given so she stopped taking them flushing then whiles she was still with her parents tell she moved out.