Bernardo Couto Soares
University of Amsterdam, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Graduate Student
- I am trained as a Veterinary Doctor (MSc in Veterinary Medicine), Social Science (MSc in Medical Anthropology and Soc... moreI am trained as a Veterinary Doctor (MSc in Veterinary Medicine), Social Science (MSc in Medical Anthropology and Sociology) and Gender Studies (Minor in Gender and Sexuality).
Research interests: Science and Technology Studies, Empirical Philosophy and Animal Studies with a particular focus on veterinary practices.edit - Else Vogeledit
The UvA Create a Course Challenge was a unique opportunity to make our vision of education a reality by exploring diverse pedagogies and thinking critically about the role of the lecturers and students within academia. To begin with, the... more
The UvA Create a Course Challenge was a unique opportunity to make our vision of education a reality by exploring diverse pedagogies and thinking critically about the role of the lecturers and students within academia. To begin with, the fact that we came from diverse academic backgrounds allowed us to develop an application for the competition that acknowledged which different disciplines brought to the topics that we wanted to discuss in the course. The several competition rounds allowed us to bring our course to life, from abstract ideas into a well-structured proposal that we had to explain to the evaluation committee coherently. The fact that we had to develop our action plan with a clear idea of the aims and objectives of the course, the lecturers involved, and the teaching methods, led us to discuss different ideas and approaches, being able to defend and contest each other positions. We progressively became a team and felt confident about our positions and application. Therefore it was exhilarating to have our effort and work recognized by a committee of well-established scholars and educators.
As student assistants and coordinators, our role encompassed the development and design of the course, the production of a course syllabus, logistic assistance during class, communication with the students and the guest lecturers, and the creation and maintenance of the course´s Canvas site and its materials. The course we developed was entitled Posthumans in the Anthropocene, and the intent was to raise questions about humanity and its relationship with technology, other species, and the environment. The scholarship that ran through this course is historically entangled with feminist, decolonial, LGBT+ and anti-racism movements and activism that has come to define this and the last century. We intend to give clear visibility to the people that we are indebted to on so many levels. Also, to provide our students with the opportunity to engage with feminist epistemologies and critical theory, hoping that it may be helpful for them to raise questions about Western society, history, and science.
The course received incredibly positive feedback from the students, having received a high evaluation score in all the parameters. The students appreciated that the seminar at the end of each block (the course was divided into three) allowed them to work on a case study, allowing them to apply the theories learned in that block and engage in an open discussion. Plus, the evaluation (small written assignments and a final group presentation) focused on developing critical thinking and bringing knowledge from their disciplines.
On a personal note, the course challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to design a course without being constricted by other duties as a lecture, which allowed us to dedicate more time to reflect and discuss different every step of the way. Additionally, as an elective from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, there is no need to consider how the course will fit within a specific degree's structure or follow certain disciplinary traditions. Therefore, the students are in a privileged position to raise important questions and touch upon topics that are usually not approached within Western academia. Therefore, I recommend that the students applying make the most out of this challenge. Fundament well your ideals and ideas, but do not be restricted by a normative understanding of teaching and learning, and most of all, enjoy every step of the way. “ - Bernardo Couto Soares
As student assistants and coordinators, our role encompassed the development and design of the course, the production of a course syllabus, logistic assistance during class, communication with the students and the guest lecturers, and the creation and maintenance of the course´s Canvas site and its materials. The course we developed was entitled Posthumans in the Anthropocene, and the intent was to raise questions about humanity and its relationship with technology, other species, and the environment. The scholarship that ran through this course is historically entangled with feminist, decolonial, LGBT+ and anti-racism movements and activism that has come to define this and the last century. We intend to give clear visibility to the people that we are indebted to on so many levels. Also, to provide our students with the opportunity to engage with feminist epistemologies and critical theory, hoping that it may be helpful for them to raise questions about Western society, history, and science.
The course received incredibly positive feedback from the students, having received a high evaluation score in all the parameters. The students appreciated that the seminar at the end of each block (the course was divided into three) allowed them to work on a case study, allowing them to apply the theories learned in that block and engage in an open discussion. Plus, the evaluation (small written assignments and a final group presentation) focused on developing critical thinking and bringing knowledge from their disciplines.
On a personal note, the course challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to design a course without being constricted by other duties as a lecture, which allowed us to dedicate more time to reflect and discuss different every step of the way. Additionally, as an elective from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, there is no need to consider how the course will fit within a specific degree's structure or follow certain disciplinary traditions. Therefore, the students are in a privileged position to raise important questions and touch upon topics that are usually not approached within Western academia. Therefore, I recommend that the students applying make the most out of this challenge. Fundament well your ideals and ideas, but do not be restricted by a normative understanding of teaching and learning, and most of all, enjoy every step of the way. “ - Bernardo Couto Soares
Greece represents an important area for wild birds due to its geographical position and habitat diversity. Although the bird species in Greece are well recorded, the information about the chewing lice that infest them is practically... more
Greece represents an important area for wild birds due to its geographical position and habitat diversity. Although the bird species in Greece are well recorded, the information about the chewing lice that infest them is practically non-existent. Thus, the aim of the present study was to record the species of lice infesting wild birds in northern Greece and furthermore, to associate the infestation prevalence with factors such as the age, sex, migration and social behaviour of the host as well as the time of the year. In total 729 birds, (belonging to 9 orders, 32 families and 68 species) were examined in 7 localities of northern Greece, during 9 ringing sessions from June 2013 until October 2015. Eighty (11%) of the birds were found to be infested with lice. In 31 different bird species, 560 specimens of lice, belonging to 33 species were recorded. Mixed infestations were recorded in 11 cases where birds were infested with 2-3 different lice species. Four new host-parasite associations were recorded i.e. Menacanthus curuccae from Acrocephalus melanopogon, Menacanthus agilis from Cettia cetti, Myrsidea sp. from Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, and Philopretus citrinellae from Spinus spinus. Moreover, Menacanthus si-nuatus was detected on Poecile lugubris, rendering this report the first record of louse infestation in this bird species. The statistical analysis of the data collected showed no association between parasitological parameters (prevalence, mean and median intensity and mean abundance) in two different periods of the year (breeding vs post-breeding season). However, there was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of infestation between a) migrating and sedentary passerine birds (7.4% vs 13.2%), b) colonial and territorial birds (54.5% vs 9.6%), and c) female and male birds in breeding period (2.6% vs 15.6%).
Research Interests:
This paper considers connections between veterinary anthropology, multispecies ethnography and empirical philosophy, and their contributions to medical anthropology. Veterinarians have a great impact on human-animal interactions and the... more
This paper considers connections between veterinary anthropology, multispecies ethnography and empirical philosophy, and their contributions to medical anthropology. Veterinarians have a great impact on human-animal interactions and the ways of ordering animals in contemporary animal housing infrastructures. The analyses uses ethnographic fieldwork in a Dutch animal shelter.
Research Interests:
This panel considers the ecologies, politics, and economies of a global capitalist regime that place nonhuman animals in positions of vulnerability, anxiety, and defiance. The engagement within human-nonhuman interactions with the... more
This panel considers the ecologies, politics, and economies of a global capitalist regime that place nonhuman animals in positions of vulnerability, anxiety, and defiance. The engagement within human-nonhuman interactions with the potentiality of reconstituting knowledge, practices, and relations.
Research Interests:
We wish to increase hybridity between artists and scholars, in order to create spaces for affirmative ethics (Braidotti, 2017) and for “thinking with” (de la Bellacasa, 2012) alternative onto-epistemologies. The interdisciplinary... more
We wish to increase hybridity between artists and scholars, in order to create spaces for affirmative ethics (Braidotti, 2017) and for “thinking with” (de la Bellacasa, 2012) alternative onto-epistemologies. The interdisciplinary framework of this event is a collaborative effort between artists, scholars, artist-scholars and researchers, both emerging and established. Interventions take the form of academic and/or artistic presentations, panels, video screenings and performances. We will explore and reflect on the advancements of artistic research and literary studies on questions of the posthuman.
Research Interests:
As a continuation of mine, and Amalia Calderon's, course Posthuman in the Anthropocene and the consequent 2-days symposium entitled Posthuman Futures: Art & Literature, we are collaborating with the Soapbox Journal in a special... more
As a continuation of mine, and Amalia Calderon's, course Posthuman in the Anthropocene and the consequent 2-days symposium entitled Posthuman Futures: Art & Literature, we are collaborating with the Soapbox Journal in a special publication on the possible constellations and cartographies that can occupy our memories, biographies and allow us to recognize the 'wounds' of Humanism, Capitalism, Patriarchy, and Colonialism. While at the same time allowing to the thinking with and making kin with other critters.
Research Interests:
The winners of the UvA Create a Course Challenge 2019 were Amalia Calderon (bachelor in law and artistic research master student) and Clémentine Dècle (Bachelor in Politics, Psychology, Law & Economics) and Bernardo Couto Soares... more
The winners of the UvA Create a Course Challenge 2019 were Amalia Calderon (bachelor in law and artistic research master student) and Clémentine Dècle (Bachelor in Politics, Psychology, Law & Economics) and Bernardo Couto Soares (veterinarian and sociology master student). Their course run in the spring semester of 2020/21 and this full compendium of the course has the materials, course manual, evaluation sheet, theoretical cartographies and supplementary texts.