Abstract

This dissertation investigates the coexistence of humans and javelinas in Texas. Through a blend of traditional ethnography, ethology, and GIS mapping, the study explores the dynamics of interactions at three primary sites across Texas, emphasizing the mutual shaping of shared spaces and the significance of negotiation. The dissertation argues that convivial human-javelina relations in Texas emerge from the negotiation of encounters—a form of intersubjective politics—leading to stable social arrangements and imbuing landscapes with meaning. The argument is drawn from three years of research on human-javelina relations in different contexts, situating these relationships within their unique sociohistorical and ecological contexts. The investigation of these convivial relations emphasizes the importance of engagement and understanding of others’ positionalities for fostering coexistence. It contends that such coexistence is achievable through deliberate and thoughtful negotiation of shared spaces and experiences, underlining the potential for harmonious multispecies living.

Chapters One and Two situate javelinas in the broader social, ecological, and scholarly discourse, placing them alongside other lively actors in Texas (Chapter Two). Chapter Three explores encountering javelinas in various contexts and how perception and experience shape encounters. Chapter Four investigates how convivial human-javelina relationships develop through the practice of “multispecies politics.” Chapter Five considers the effects of multispecies politics on the construction of meaningful landscapes. Finally, Chapter Six reflects on the intellectual contributions of the dissertation and its broader impacts on multispecies living in a precarious world.

Dedication

My dissertation is dedicated to my partner, Sarah, and my daughter, Amelie. Thank you for believing in me, loving me, and keeping me grounded throughout this arduous process. I am forever grateful.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my advisor, Michael Cepek, for his much-needed encouragement, support, and guidance. You made me a better writer and a more critical thinker. I would also like to thank the rest of my committee members, Jamon Halvaksz, Jill Fleuriet, and John Hartigan. I am grateful to Jamon for inspiring me to follow my passion for studying human-animal relations and being an ear to listen to my ideas. I thank Jill for her thoughtful feedback and for introducing me to networks that I otherwise would not have known. Your perspicacious knowledge of Texas was invaluable. I would like to thank John for being a critical eye and encouraging me to extend my thoughts to view other animals in new ways. I am thankful to the faculty in the anthropology department at UTSA. Thad Bartlett and Patrick Gallagher provided guidance and support throughout my time in the program. Thank you, Rebecca Bria, for helping me develop the skills to use GIS to explore my research questions. Other academic mentors who were important in shaping my work are Barbara King, Jonathan Marks, Peta Katz, Gregg Starrett, Harry Greene, and Andrea Petitt, who served as inspiration and support. I also want to thank my fellow students at UTSA: Sara Lucci, Emily Glotfelty, and Jennifer Torpie-Sweterlitsch, who all played important roles as both friends and colleagues in my doctoral program. I would also like my primatology friends at Texas State University—Jill Pruetz, Katie Gerstner, Carson Black, and Kaelyn Dobson Broderick—for being such fantastic support and fun over the past five years.

My project would not have been possible without Roger Gray, who was a dedicated collaborator and interlocutor throughout the study. Thank you, Roger, for inviting me into your home and letting me roam around your property. The pleasure of knowing you has truly enriched my life!
I would also like to thank the other participants and collaborators who took time out of their lives to chat with me, tell me stories, allow me to hike with them, invite me to go birding, show me all the best places to find javelinas and teach me how to interact with them. I am incredibly fortunate to have met such wonderful people along the way.

Finally, I would like to thank my family. My partner, Sarah Pollock, and my daughter, Amelie Johnson, were rocks for me as I embarked on a three-year project. They enthusiastically listened to my ideas and accompanied me to the field on several occasions, providing me with support and much-needed companionship. I would also like to thank my mother, Susan Wrenn, for her continuous support and for inspiring me at a young age to pursue my dreams and believe that I could achieve anything. I would also like to thank my partner’s family: her father, Roy Pollock; her mother, Barbara Pollock; and her sister, Irene Pollock. I am so grateful for your support and encouragement throughout my Ph.D. program. To Roy and Barbara, I would not have been able to complete the project without your support across so many levels.