framingspeciesism

Holding the Proverbial Line

For those just arriving to this website, Framing Speciesism is a research activism blog written by me, Emily Major, that seeks to explore how we ‘frame’, or think about, animal species. The current project focuses on the framing of the brushtail possum in Aotearoa New Zealand, which is the subject of my doctoral research at theContinue reading “Holding the Proverbial Line”

‘Blacks Rd Possum’: Woman Meets Hungry Joey

For those just arriving to this website, Framing Speciesism is a research activism blog written by me, Emily Major, that seeks to explore how we ‘frame’, or think about, animal species. The current project focuses on the framing of the brushtail possum in Aotearoa New Zealand, which is the subject of my doctoral research atContinue reading “‘Blacks Rd Possum’: Woman Meets Hungry Joey”

‘Possum Purge’: To Cleanse and Purify

‘purge’ from Latin purgare, to “cleanse, make clean; purify” Etymological Dictionary Every year, Paparoa School, an elementary school in Northland, New Zealand, runs a ‘Possum Purge’ fundraiser. The event, referred to as a ‘Gala Day’ is heralded as an opportunity for the community to come together and win some prizes. These prizes are given for variousContinue reading “‘Possum Purge’: To Cleanse and Purify”

Prisoners of War

Content Warning – Animal Cruelty On June 11, 2021, an incredibly distressing video was posted on a personal Facebook account by a user referring to themselves, rather vulgarly, as ‘Rough Cxnts Ltd’. The video showed an extremely stressed brushtail possum tangled in the throes of an tightly-held animal control pole. Horrifying shrieks and screams emanatedContinue reading “Prisoners of War”

‘Voracious’ Appetites

For a few seconds, I held out a blueberry in front of the wooden nest box. My hand shook ever so slightly, I had yet to physically meet a brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) before. A black paw timidly appeared from the darkness and quickly plucked the blueberry from my palm. I peered around the corner,Continue reading “‘Voracious’ Appetites”