djuriskt

Djuriskt is a term used in contemporary Swedish-language discourse to describe a sensibility or methodological stance that foregrounds animal perspectives, non-human agency, and the ethical implications of human–animal relations. The word combines djur, the Swedish word for "animal," with -iskt, a productive suffix forming adjectives comparable to "-istic" in English. As a neologism, djuriskt does not have a single universally accepted definition. It is typically applied to culture, theory, and art that treat animals as subjects with their own interests, rather than as passive symbols or allegories.

In literature, film, and visual art, djuriskt may characterize works that depict animals with discernible internal lives, sensory experience, and motives. In philosophy and critical theory, it signals approaches that challenge anthropocentrism by prioritizing animal welfare, rights, or non-human ways of being. In curatorial practice, djuriskt can describe exhibitions or projects that center animal ecologies or rethink human–animal boundaries.

Critics note that djuriskt is a broad and sometimes vague label; its scope can be unclear and risks conflating distinct aims such as animal ethics, phenomenology of perception, or ecological critique. Proponents argue that it offers a workable frame for analyzing cultural production that resists instrumentalist views of animals. The term is most common in Swedish-language contexts but has echoes in global discussions about posthumanism, animal studies, and ecocriticism.