The meanings of dogs and cats in U.S. American culture based on movies, cartoons, and consumer goods
Abstract
The keeping of dogs and cats as household pets is prevalent throughout the United States. Individuals define and express their personal identities in part through customizing their personal repertoires of possessions, which includes pets. The actual symbolic meanings given to dogs and cats are numerous and vary with individual interpretation, yet there are certain themes that repeat themselves. Dogs tend to be favored by “mainstream” veins of American culture, such as in Hollywood film, certain comic cartoons, and in the pet products industry. In these currents, cats are marked and are treated as secondary to dogs. The present research indicates that the favoring of cats is culturally distinct from the favoring of dogs. Media catering specifically to cat lovers appear in different, often more specialized, outlets than those for dog lovers. There is also some rivalry between the two cultures. Differences between “cat culture” and “dog culture” can be seen in the differences in ownership statistics, consumer behavior, forms of anthropomorphism, and types of entertainment media associated with the respective types of pets. Cat lovers face certain stereotypes that are imposed onto them by the dominant culture. Cat culture has a weaker social presence than dog culture and has a different set of values.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Anderson, Purdue University.
Subject Area
American studies|Cultural anthropology
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