Premium
An Animal Just Like Me: The Importance of Preserving the Identities of Companion‐Animal Owners in Disaster Contexts
Author(s) -
Trigg Joshua,
Thompson Kirrilly,
Smith Bradley,
Bennett Pauleen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
social and personality psychology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.699
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 1751-9004
DOI - 10.1111/spc3.12233
Subject(s) - symbolic interactionism , realm , psychology , identity (music) , social psychology , intersubjectivity , relation (database) , context (archaeology) , epistemology , social identity theory , warrant , aesthetics , social group , computer science , paleontology , philosophy , database , political science , financial economics , law , economics , biology
The widespread tendency of modern‐day pet owners to self‐identify with their companion animals psychologically, symbolically and relationally demonstrates how the constructed identities of animal and owner are strongly linked. This becomes particularly apparent during natural disasters. In this review, the new concept of the pet‐owning self is discussed in relation to three self‐psychology perspectives: self‐extension, symbolic interactionism and selfobject relations. We purposefully depart from the realm of attachment theory to argue that these three epistemological approaches to self‐identity, although related, warrant closer examination. Although we discuss them in relation to disaster contexts, the concept of the pet‐owning self remains widely applicable. We argue for the importance of acknowledging the powerful intersubjectivity inherent to pet keeping, the inseparability of perceived pet identity from owners' experiences of the self and that preserving the cohesion of the two is an essential consideration for owners' psychological wellbeing when managing the integrated pet/owner in the face of risks posed by disaster and other hazards. Future research opportunities and implications are then discussed in the context of social identity theory.