Young, Dr Janette

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Young, Dr Janette

Program Director, Bachelor of Health Sciences

University of South Australia

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Research interests / activities:

My core field is (human) health promotion but I have a particular interest in human mental health and the intersection of this with non-human creatures particularly those that humans chose to share their lives with aka pets. Within this interest the welfare and wellbeing of animals is key. As with any positive human relationship – concern for the welfare of the loved other is engendered.
I have written in the area of animals and leisure and am contracted to edit two books on the intersections of human and animal leisure – wild and domesticated. Humans spend their leisure time, energy and resources in various relations to animals; but do animals have leisure? Should they and what might this look like? What are the implications of exploring these ideas – for humans and non-humans…

 Member of HARG (Humans and Animals Research Group) a cross disciplinary group of persons interested in the Human: Animal intersection in SA. Has representation from most SA universities and animal welfare industry representation
 Member of the 2017 conference organising committee for the Australasian Animal Studies Association.

Outputs:

Janette Young & Lisel O’Dwyer (2015) Pets and our health: why we should take them more seriously, The Conversation, Dec 2 2015 https://theconversation.com/pets-and-our-health-why-we-should-take-them-more-seriously-47774 (Republished in News from the University of South Australia, January 2016); Janette Young (2015) At the nexus: serious leisure, civic engagement and animal welfare and wellbeing, in Domestic Animals and Leisure, Neil Carr (ed), Palgrave Macmillan, UK, p67-88. x3 Radio Interviews – 2015, 2016

Potential areas for research supervision:
Human – Animal intersection in regard to older people, mental wellbeing, leisure, human health and health promotion; Qualitative critical research; Health Promotion; Salutogenesis; People and Pets
Website/blog:
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