Research Proposal: The Bond between Humans and Dolphins (Social Sciences Research Paper)

Research Proposal: The Bond between Humans and Dolphins
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Introduction
It is undeniable that humans have long felt a strong attraction towards dolphins. Humans, being social beings have an urge to socialize, not only with other humans but also animals (Grandgeorge and Hausberger 2011, 399). Such human-animal socialization is more pronounced in the attempt by humans to socialize with dolphins. Humans have interacted with dolphins since time immemorial. Indeed, an analysis of dolphins has been critical in understanding the origins of human beings in the animal kingdom. Significant similarities exist between dolphins and humans that are not even found between humans and apes. For instance, the idea that dolphins need to get air from the surface of the water makes them similar to humans. Due to the curiosity of people to unearth such similarities, the bond between dolphins and humans have grown with time. In the past, human interaction with these sea mammals was limited to hunting. As individuals learned of their intelligence and capability to interact, the bond grew stronger. However, an increase in instances where dolphins have injured individuals has led to questions regarding whether such a bond exists (Christiansen 2016, 2). Similarly, instances where dolphins are injured, for instance by boat propellers have risen concerns about the encounter of dolphins with humans. This begs the question, does a genuine bond exist between humans and dolphins?
Literature Review
The human-animal bond has a mutual benefit to both parties. The relationship between animals and humans is influenced by factors which are fundamental to the advantage of both (Summers, Smith, Case and Linthurst 2012, 335). This bond has seen more people share their homes with other animals, with more individuals coming into contact with these animals daily. Some people even have animals, especially pets like dogs and cats in their workplace. The opportunities to interact with animals have increased over the years. The relationship between individuals and other animals is not recent; it dates back to prehistory (Shipman 2011, 519). Three major stages have been identified in the human-animal relationship; the pre-domestic period where human existed with animals in the hunter-gatherer societies without any perceived differences; the domestic era where humans perceived themselves as superior; and the post-domestic era where a majority of individuals have little experience with animals, especially the ones they eat. Some researchers see this as posing ambiguities in the relationship, with humans perceiving animals in different ways (DeMello 2012). This demonstrates how the relationship can be paradoxical.
Nonetheless, it is widely believed that individuals need to bond with animals. This can be demonstrated in various ways like taking care of the environment, visiting wildlife, and zoos (Godinez and Fernandez 2019, 2). The bond between dolphins and humans can be attributed to their similarities. Physically, dolphins are mammals like humans. They give live birth just like humans. Dolphins, unlike most fish in the sea, do not have gills. Like other mammals, dolphins breathe air into their lungs. They have nostrils that are located at the top of their heads. Mentally, dolphins show significant similarities to humans. Together with whales, dolphins possess the largest brains in the ocean, which are even larger than that of human beings (Güntürkün 2014, 177). Intelligence entails the ability to learn and apply knowledge, together with an understanding of challenging situations. Dolphins can do some of these things which lead scientists to conclude that they are intelligent. They can mimic actions, learn quickly, demonstrate self-awareness, show empathy, are playful among others.
Studies seem to suggest that not all categories of dolphins have a friendly bond with humans. With urbanization, nature-based tourism has increased, becoming a popular and widespread phenomenon (Hakeem and Khan 2018, 271). People want to interact with wildlife for various benefits starting from enjoyment to relief from stress. Indeed, close-up encounters with wildlife can stimulate emotional responses from individuals, and hence inspire conservation efforts. One aspect that has promoted such close-up encounters between wildlife and humans is food rewards (Oro et al. 2013). One category of wild dolphins, “provisioned dolphins” tends to spend time in proximity to people. However, unlike the sociable dolphins, this category is only interested in humans because of the free food received (Senigaglia, Christiansen, Sprogis and Bejder 2019, 2). Further, dolphins are known to be aggressive towards humans, even when not provoked (Bejder 2019, 2). Such aggressive behavior has often resulted in severe injuries and deaths.
Research Strategy
The primary method for this study is a systematic literature review. The study will involve a synthesis of existing literature on the topic. It will be restricted to scholarly materials and reputable news sources. The use of peer-reviewed journals will ensure that the information generated is reliable. Reputable news sources will be used to get current information on the issue under examination. All the materials used will be no more than 10 years old. The use of up-to-date articles will ensure that the information obtained is relevant. Those that are more than 10 years old and/or are not credible will not be used in the study. The researcher targets a minimum of 15 articles.
To obtain the required materials, the investigator will do informational search queries. This type of search query entails looking for specific information via a search engine. Making the informational search queries more effective would involve the use of keywords. The combination of the following keywords will assist in narrowing down the search; dolphins, cetaceans, humans, human beings, bond, relationship, friendship, nature tourism, conservation, aggression, injury, swimming, and intelligence. These keywords will help in identifying instances of a genuine bond as well as cases of aggression between dolphins and animals. Covering the topic will require an understanding of concepts derived from other disciples beyond the social sciences. The researcher will borrow an idea from disciplines like marine biology, geography, and law. Marine biology will be critical in understanding how dolphins live and relate with ...