Anthrozoology is a modern discipline that focuses on the interaction between animals and humans. It is an interdisciplinary field in the growth that overlaps several other disciplines.
Research on effects of Animal Assisted Intervention on different welfare arenas is a growing research field internationally.
Background
The "Anthrozoology Research Group" at the University of Agder is a research and development group based on a partnership between advisers for Green care by the County Governor of Agder and employees of the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Agder.
The group was established in autumn 2012 and has organised conferences and conducted two pilot projects. In spring 2015, a continuing education course in Anthrozoology was established.
Projects and applications
Collaboration group SAMFO
The research group has been active in initiating research activity, publishing the first Norwegian book in Anthrozoology and spreading information of these research fields by seminars and conferences both nationally and internationally (e.g. the Nordic conference in Green Care and nature-based interventions at Kristiansand in 2017).
Following these activities, there is established a collaboration forum; Samfo, with representatives from UiA and various private and public institutions in the Agder district.
The goal of the collaboration forum is to further develop research and development work on animal-assisted activities and green welfare services, and to disseminate research-relevant knowledge of these fields to the education and welfare sectors. Another goal is to develop relevant courses / study programs in collaboration with the field of practice.
Samfo is initially established as a three-year project with a project coordinator in a 20% position.