Who cares about wildlife?

About this book

"Wildlife holds a special place in the human consciousness. It is a source of attraction and fear, material value and symbolic meaning, religious or spiritual significance, and it is a barometer of people's concern for environmental sustainability. Why do humans care so much about wildlife? In Who Cares About Wildlife?, author Michael J. Manfredo explores that question through multiple social science perspectives. How has evolution prepared human responses to wildlife? How can we better understand the nature of our cognitive and emotional responses to wildlife? And how can we place those responses in a broad cultural context? A theoretical perspective is advanced that draws upon these multiple perspectives and that proposes the rise of caring and mutualism values in post-industrial society. Directions for future research and managerial implications are interwoven into this theoretical overview."--BOOK JACKET.