In the post-modern age, animals are no longer viewed as mere objects, subject to human designs, and have acquired much greater prominence in their own right. Factors such as age, gender or the unequal significance of animals help us to understand a complex phenomenon, which calls into question the radical separation between humans and animals, as highlighted by more recent research within the field of anthropology. The category of zoophilia encompasses a plural reality. This paper examines the different ways in which this phenomenon has been tackled in disciplines such as anthropology, sociology and history, allowing us to understand the different meanings and significances of zoophilia depending on the historical and cultural context.
The taboo surrounding these practices has silenced a reality that is present in countless societies. Very few studies have analysed zoophilia from the perspective of the social sciences. Such research has not taken into account the contextual and symbolic nature of so-called zoophilia. Sexual relations between humans and animals have been fundamentally approached as a pathology within the fields of health science and biomedical science.
