Zootopia ― Book review of David Grazian's 'American Zoo'

Abstract

Although there are plenty of books about zoos, zoo ethnographies are a rare treat. Inspired by Erving Goffman’s ethnographic fieldwork method, David Grazian (who teaches in the same department as the late influential sociologist) invites readers on a “sociological safari” to understand “the social and cultural world of the American metropolitan zoo”. Grazian excels in Goffmanesque immersive interactions, especially with the underpaid female keepers and educators at the zoo, whose difficult and “dirty” work he is clearly inspired by.

Keywords: American Zoos, Immersive Ethnography, Anthropocene