Impacts of science and technology in the relations between man and animals, United States and England (1850-1910): documentary and bibliographical materials for deepening and analysis of the importance of animals in Rio de Janeiro and in Machado de Assis

• Grant number: 12/20891-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Elias Thome Saliba
• Grantee: Nelson Aprobato Filho
• Supervisor: Harriet Ritvo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States

Abstract

The main objective of the research internship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)is to make a survey and analysis of primary sources and bibliographical references (nonexistent in Brazil) about the impacts of science and technology in the relations between man and animals in the United States and England between 1850 and 1910. Major transformations that marked the nineteenth century, for example, the consequences of the Industrial Revolution, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the advent of the Scientific-Technological Revolution, the use of animals in laboratorial and industrial practices, the animals in entertainment, the foundation of animal protection societies, etc., had their origins in these two countries. Starting from the English and North American historical context, these experiences have spread to many other regions of the world, including Brazil. Many of these experiences were introduced in cities such as Rio de Janeiro ready for "consumption", without prior discussions and almost no historical reference, causing a profound impact - practically unknown by the Brazilian historiography - on the relations between man and animals. Thus, documental and bibliographical references surveyed during the internship will be fundamental for deepen the analysis of the importance of the animals in the work of Machado de Assis and especially in the history of Rio de Janeiro. This material adds invaluable and substantial gains for the main research. Through these primary sources and bibliographical references we intend, on the one hand, to explore unknown layers of Machado's work and, on the other hand, to think more deeply a perspective of the history of the city of Rio de Janeiro that has not been analyzed yet: the history of animals during the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. We have established four main thematic areas to be investigated during the internship: animals in the context of the major scientific debates of the period; animals and technology with emphasis on the process of replacement of animal power for other sources of energy; animals and everyday urban life with emphasis on industry, food and entertainment; animals and changes in human sensibility with emphasis on animal protection societies. During the realization of internship we also intend to create opportunities to establish contacts more perennial between specialists in the history of animals for, among other collaborations, working towards creating a possible group of studies in this area located in the State of São Paulo. It will be the first group of this specialty to be established in Brazil. (AU)