Intimacy within livestock production. More-than-human relational lifeworlds of shepherdesses and shepherds in the Pyrenees Mountains

Abstract

The current era of the Anthropocene is characterised by the ideology of human exceptionalism, which has led to humans feeling disconnected from the wider natural world. This disconnection poses significant challenges for our understanding of and engagement with the more-than-human. This thesis aims to address this issue by providing valuable insights into our relationship with the natural world through an investigation of the human and more-than-human relationships within the shepherding community of the Ossau-Iraty Pyrenean cheese region. Through ethnographic fieldwork with a non-representational approach, this research delves into the daily lives of primarily salaried shepherdesses, exploring their diverse interdependencies with the natural world that shape their mountain lifestyle. The study sheds light on the potential for re-establishing intimate connections with nature, including livestock