Adaptation à l’environnement et réduction au silence. Analyse d’un débat scientifique sur les cages de batterie (1979-1981) au prisme des subaltern studies

Abstract

Farm animals can be considered as subalterns : they are enclosed in complex structures of silenciations. Here, I study the first scientific European debate about the welfare of laying hens kept in battery cages (1979-1981). I show how a change in the scientific concepts (from the multifarious concept of animal welfare, to that of adaptation to the environment) leads to the impossibility of hearing the animals’ voices, and their scientist defenders’ as well. The question becomes: can they adapt, or can we genetically adapt them, to the cage ? This reductionist approach leads to silencing some scientific disciplines, while others get a stronger voice : this enhances the silencing of the animals’ needs.

Keywords

• battery cages
• critical science
• environment
• general adaptation syndrome
• subaltern studies