sociologia somnului taylor
Post on 07-Aug-2018
236 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
1/9
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Jo u r n a l o f P o l i t i e s Cu l t u r e a n d S o c ie t y V o l. 6 N o . 3 1 9 9 3
U n c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d S o c i e t y
T h e S o c i o l o g y o f S l e e p
r i an T ay l or
S o c i o l o g y i s c o n c e r n e d w i t h o n l y t w o - t h i r d s o f t h e l i v e s o f i t s h u m a n
s u b j e c t s a n d h a s s y s te m a t ic a l l y i g n o r e d o n e - t h i r d o f t h e m e i t h e r a s so u r c e s
o f d a t a o r a s o c c a s i o n s f o r t h e o r i z i n g . S u c h a n i n i t i a l e x a g g e r a t i o n h a s , I
h o p e , d e s p i t e i t s a d m i t t e d c r a s s n e s s, a s e r i o u s i n t e n t i o n . M y p u r p o s e is t o
d i r e c t a t t e n t i o n , a l b e i t s p e c u l a t i v e l y , t o t h e q u e s t i o n o f h o w a s o c i o l o g i s t
m i g h t a p p r o a c h a t o p i c w h i c h is , f o r o n c e , q u i t e l it e r a l ly a t a k e n - f o r -
g r a n t e d , c o m m o n - s e n s e f e a t u r e o f e v e r y d a y l i fe , th e a p p a r e n t l y
a - so c io l o gi c al p h e n o m e n o n o f u n c o ns c io u s n e ss , th e u n s u r p ri s i n g h u m a n
h a b i t o f sl e e p i n g , o r a t l e a s t o f w a n t i n g t o s l e e p , f o r s e v e ra l h o u r s o f e v e r y
n i g h t o f a ll o f o u r l iv e s. O f c o u r s e , t h e e l e m e n t a r y o b j e c t i o n s t o s u c h a n
e n t e r p r i s e a p p e a r , a t l e a s t a t f i r st , f a i r ly c o n v i n c i n g . S o c i o l o g y , a f t e r a l l,
d e s p i t e i t s m u l t i f a r i o u s d e f i n i t i o n s a n d i t s a l l - e m b r a c i n g , e v e n i m p e r i a l i s t i c ,
d i sc i p li n a ry t e n d e n c i e s is c o n c e r n e d , f o l lo w i n g t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n o f H .
S t u a r t H u g h e s - - a s u s e fu l a s a n y t h a t h a v e f o ll o w e d i t - - a t i ts m o s t b a s ic
l e v e l w i t h t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n i n d i v i d u a l c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d s o c i a l
s t r u c t u r e . A n y i n t e r e st i n t h e s o c ia l d im e n s i o n s o f s le e p w o u l d t h e r e f o r e
s e e m t o d e n y e v e n t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a n y s e n s i b l e s o c i o l o g i c a l c o m m e n t .
S l e e p w o u l d s e e m t o b e o n e g e n u i n e e x a m p l e , d e a t h b e i n g t h e o t h e r , o f
a n a r g u a b l y n o n - s o c i a l e x p e r i e n c e c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a l a c k o f i n d i v i d u a l i n -
t e n t i o n a n d a s s u c h s i t u a t e d b e y o n d t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l r e a c h o f a d i s c i p l i n e
m o r e i n vo l v ed w i t h t h e s t ru c t u r a l c o n s t r a in t s o n a n d u n i n t e n d e d c o n s e -
q u e n c e s o f th e r a t i o n a l a c t i o n o f i n d i v id u a l m e m b e r s o f s o c ie t y . E v e n t h e
l a n g u a g e c o n v e n t i o n a l l y u s e d i n d e sc r ib i n g s l e e p - - f a l l i n g a s l ee p , d r o p -
p i n g o ff , d e a d t o t h e w o r l d - - w o u l d s e e m t o e m p h a s iz e t hi s la ck , n o t
o n l y o f s o c i a l c o n t r o l b u t o f i n d i v i d u a l v o l i t i o n . T h e q u e s t i o n m i g h t t h e n
b e p o s e d , n o t s o m u c h o f w h a t s o c i o l o g y c a n s a y a b o u t s le e p , a s w h a t h a s
s o c i o l o g y to d o w i t h s l e e p a t a ll , g i v e n it s a p p a r e n t l y e s s e n t i a l a s o c i a l i n -
a c t i o n ? I t is t e m p t i n g t o s u g g e s t t h a t t h is v e r y r e l u c t a n c e o f t h e t o p i c t o
463
9 1993 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
2/9
6 aylor
y i e l d i m m e d i a t e l y t o s o c i o l o g i c a l a n a l y s i s m i g h t i t s e lf s e r v e a s a c h a l l e n g e .
A s o c i a l s c i e n c e w h i c h c a n a s s is t i n t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f p r a c t i c e s c o n v e n -
t i o n a l l y l a b e l e d a s o c i a l , e v e n a n t i - so c i a l , i s a d i s c i p l in e w h i c h h a s u n d e n i a b l y
e x p a n d e d i ts e x p l a n a t o r y p o w e r s . T h e r e is , h o w e v e r , a l e ss h u b r i s t ic m o t i v e
f o r w i s h i n g t o a d d r e s s t h is s o c io l o g i c a ll y e x t r a o r d i n a r y i f s o c ia l ly m u n d a n e
t o p i c , a n d t h is c o n c e r n s i ts c o n c e p t u a l i z a t i o n m o r e a s a c u l t u r a l l y - d e f i n e d
a n d i n f l u e n c e d p r a c t i c e t h a n a s a n e x t r a -s o c i o l o g i c a l e x p e r i e n c e . W i t h o u t
w i sh in g t o a d o p t t h e s o m e w h a t j a d e d j a rg o n o f e t h n o m e t h o d o l o g y , t h e re
is s o m e b e n e f i t t o b e g a i n e d f r o m s h i ft in g t h e c o m m o n - s e n s e n o t i o n o f
b e i n g a s l e e p t o t h e m o r e s o c io l o g ic a ll y a m e n a b l e o n e o f d o i n g s l e e p in g .
E v e n i f s l e e p c a n n o t b e p r e s e n t e d e n t i r e ly c o n v i n c i n g l y a s a s o c ia l p r a c t i c e ,
it m i g h t a t l e a s t b e a d m i t t e d t h a t t h e l a n g u a g e in w h i c h it is d i s c u s s e d , a n d
t h e c u l t u r a l c o n s t r a i n t s o n w h a t w e m a y ca ll i ts m o t i v e s , m e a n i n g s a n d
m e t h o d s - - t h e d i s c o u r s e o f d o r m a n c y i f y o u l i k e - - a r e g e n u in e ly s oc io -
l og ic a l c o n c e r n s a n d d o b r i n g t h e s e a s p e c t s o f a n e v e r y d a y , o r p e r h a p s m o r e
p r o p e r l y e v e r y n i g h t, e v e n t i n to t h e s o c io l o g i c a l d o m a i n . P r i o r t o e m b a r k i n g
o n s u c h a s p e c u l a t i v e e x e r c i s e , h o w e v e r , s o m e i n t r o d u c t o r y c a v e a t s w i l l b e
r e q u i r e d .
E v e n a c u r s o r y e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e h u g e l y in c r e a s in g l i t e ra t u r e i n w h a t
h a s c o m e t o b e ca l le d s l e ep r e s e a r c h o v e r th e p a s t f e w d e c a d e s r e v e a l s a
d o m i n a n t i n t e r e s t in i ts p h y s i o l o g i ca l a n d m e d i c a l a s p e c t s. A p a r t f r o m s o m e
d a t a o n th e c o m m o n l y - o b s e r v e d r e l a t i o n s h ip b e t w e e n a g e a n d s l ee p , t h e r e
i s l it t le i n t h e w a y o f c l u e s f o r a n y e n t r y - p o i n t f o r s o c i o l o g i c a l i n t e r e s t i n
t h e s u b j e c t . T h e r e is l it tl e m e n t i o n o f t h e t o p i c in t h e j o u r n a l s a n d a b s t r a c t s
o f t h e d i s c i p l in e i ts e lf , a n d e v e n a n i s s u e o f Current Sociology o n t h e s o -
c i o l o g y o f e v e r y d a y l if e d i s d a in s t o m e n t i o n t h e s u b j e c t . I n d e e d , t h e r e is
m o r e m a t e r i a l o f s u b s t a n c e t o s t i m u l a t e s o c i o l o g i c a l c u r i o s it y a b o u t s le e p
a s a s o c ia l p h e n o m e n o n in t h e p o e t W a l t e r d e la M a r e s e v e r - r e l e v a n t 1 9 3 9
a n t h o l o g y Behold this Dreamer w i t h it s g r a t i fy i n g l y a l l - e n c o m p a s s i n g s u b -
t it le O f r e v e r ie , n ig h t , s l e e p , d r e a m , l o v e - d r e a m s , n i g h t m a r e , d e a t h , t h e
u n c o n s c i o u s , t h e i m a g i n a t i o n , d i v i n a ti o n , t h e a r t is t a n d k i n d r e d s u b j e c t s .
M u c h o f t h e e x i s t in g n a t u r a l - sc i e n t i f ic r e s e a r c h is d e v o t e d , n a t u r a l l y
e n o u g h , t o s u c h m a t t e r s a s v a r i a ti o n s in s l e e p p a t t e r n s , s l e e p p a t h o l o g i e s
a n d e n c e p h a l o g r a p h i c r e c o r d i n g o f b r a in a c t i v it y d u r i n g s l ee p . R u n n i n g
t h r o u g h t h e s e p a r t i c u l a r c o n c e r n s i s t h e l a r g e r q u e s t i o n o f t h e b i o l o g i ca l
f u n c t i o n s o f s l e e p , t h e b u s i n e s s o f w h a t s l e e p i s a c t u a l l y f o r in t h e f i r st
p l ac e . W h e t h e r t h e s u g g e s t e d a n s w e r s a re c o u c h e d in t e r m s o f m e t a b o l i c
r a te s , w i t h t h o s e o f h u m a n s d i f fe r in g f r o m t h o s e o f a n d h e n c e a l so t h e
s l e ep r e q u i r e m e n t s o f m i c e o r e l e p h a n t s , f o r ex a m p l e , o r w h e t h e r t h e y co n -
c e n t r a t e o n t h e i d e a o f s l e e p a s a c o v e r , o r b i o l o g i c a l l y - im p o s e d v e h i c l e ,
f o r t h e m o r e i m p o r t a n t n e c e s s it y o f d r e a m i n g , t h e q u e s t i o n s a r e p o s e d in
w h a t t e r m s - - w h a t is s l e e p fo r , w h a t f o r m s d o e s it t a k e , e t c. I f, i n p l a c e
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
3/9
U n c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d o c i et y
65
o f t h e s e l a r g e ' w h a t ' a n d ' w h y ' q u e s t i o n s , w e a s k i n s t e a d h o w , w h e n a n d
w h e r e p e o p l e s le e p , a n d p e r h a p s e v e n t h e e v e r - in t e r e st in g ' w i th w h o m ' ,
t h e n w e h a v e t h e b e g i n n i n g s a t le a s t o f e n q u i r i e s w h i c h a r e m o r e s o c io -
l o g ic a l in t h e i r m o t i v e s a n d t h e i r m e t h o d o l o g y . M y f ir s t c a v e a t is, t h e n , o n e
t h a t i s r e a s o n a b l y f a m i l i a r t o s o c i a l s c i e n t i s t s - - s o c i o l o g i c a l a n s w e r s o n l y
c o m e f r o m a s k i n g s o c i o l o g i c a l q u e s t i o n s . M y s e c o n d c a v e a t i s a m o r e n e g a -
t iv e o n e , a n d is i n t e n d e d t o r u l e o u t o f c o u r t f o r t h is i n v e s t ig a t i o n a t le a s t
t h e i n t e r e st in g , b u t v er y w e l l - d o c u m e n t e d , a r e a o f d r e a m s a n d d r e a m c o n -
t e n ts . M y i n t e r e s t h e r e is w i t h th e t o p ic o f s l ee p a n d n o t in t h e p h e n o m e n o n
o f d r e a m i n g a n d e v e n i f e a c h m a y b e c o n s i d e r e d n e c e s s a r y f o r th e o t h e r ,
t h e r e i s n e v e r t h e l e s s a n i m p o r t a n t e m p i r i c a l d i s t i n c t i o n t o b e d r a w n b e -
t w e e n t h e m . A t a s t r o k e , t h e n , i s o b v i a t e d t h e n e e d e v e n t o c o n s i d e r t h e
w h o l e a r e a o f d r e a m a n a l y s i s , a s d i s c u s s e d a t g r e a t a n d f a s c i n a t i n g l e n g t h
b y p h i l o s o p h e r s a n d p s y c h o l o g i s ts f r o m D e s c a r t e s t o F r e u d a n d b e y o n d . I
w o u l d s u s p e c t in a n y c a s e t h a t t h e F r e u d i a n i n te r p r e ti v e p a r a d i g m is n o w
s o f i rm l y e s t a b l is h e d i n th i s c o n t e x t t h a t a n y so c i o lo g i c a l a t t e m p t t o p r e s e n t
d r e a m s i n a n y t h i n g o t h e r t h a n a s y m b o l ic f r a m e w o r k is u n l i k e l y t o c o n v i n c e .
A g a i n s t t hi s, I w o u l d o n l y h i n t t h a t , d e s p i t e t h e e m p h a s i s i n th e d o c u m e n -
t a ry l it e ra t u r e o n F r e u d i a n a n d J u n g i a n d r e a m ' m e a n in g s ' , m u c h a n e c d o t a l
e v i d e n c e e x i s ts t o s u g g e s t t h a t m o r e p e o p l e r e c a ll d r e a m i n g o f m o r e s o -
c i o l o g ic a l l y - re l e v a n t s u b j e c ts a s t h e i r jo b , t h e i r f a m i l y a n d t h e p a s t d a y ' s
e x p e r i e n c e s t h a n e v e r r e c o r d d r e a m i n g i n c la ss ic a ll y F r e u d i a n i m a g e r y o r
J u n g i a n a r c h e t y p e s W i t h t h e s e tw o r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s a n d r e s tr ic t io n s i n
m i n d , t h e n , l e t u s c o n s i d e r w h a t s o c i o lo g y m i g h t h a v e t o s a y a b o u t s l e e p ,
b e g i n n i n g w i t h i t s c o r r e l a t i o n w i t h s o m e f a m i l i a r s o c i o l o g i c a l v a r i a b l e s .
T H E S O C I A L D I S T R I B U T I O N O F S L E E P :
A G E , G E N D E R A N D S O C I A L C L A S S
I t i s a c o m m o n , a n d c l e a r l y c o m m o n - s e n s e , o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t s l e e p ,
i t s f r e q u e n c y , l e n g t h , q u a l i t y a n d c o n s e q u e n c e s o f d o i n g w i t h o u t , i s r e l a t e d
t o a g e . B a b i e s s p e n t a g r e a t e r p r o p o r t i o n o f th e i r ti m e a s le e p t h a n d o o l d
p e o p l e . E i g h t - y e a r - o l d s d o n ' t w a n t t o g o t o s l e e p b u t c a n , e i g h t y - y e a r - o l d s
d o w a n t t o b u t f i n d it m o r e d i f f ic u l t , o r a t l e a s t l e ss n e c e s s a r y . A t a n e l e -
m e n t a r y l e v e l , s o c i o l o g i c a l h y p o t h e s e s c o u l d b e f o r m u l a t e d t o t e s t t h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p o f t h i s ' b i o l o g i c a l g i v e n ' w i t h s u c h s o c i a l f a c t o r s a s s c h o o l
h o u r s , s o t h a t c h i l d r e n w h o r i s e e a r l i e r m i g h t b e n e f i t f r o m a ' c o n t i n e n t a l '
s c h o o l d a y , b e g i n n i n g e a r l y a n d f i n i s h in g e a r l y r a t h e r m o r e t h a n t h e i r a d u l t
t e a c h e r s , f o r w h o m a s i x - t h i r t y s t a r t m i g h t c a r r y w i t h i t o t h e r ' b l u e - c o l l a r '
o f n o n - p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k i n g p r a c t i c e , r is k o f a r r iv i n g l a te , e tc . T h e g r o w i n g
l i t e r a t u r e o n a g i n g r e f e r s a l so t o th e a p p a r e n t ' u n f a i r n e s s ' f e lt b y m a n y
r e t i r e d p e o p l e w h o f i n d a d e s i r e f o r re s t a f t e r a li f e ti m e ' s w o r k f r u s t r a t e d
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
4/9
66 aylor
by longer waking hours. All this is fairly obvious and, arguably, of no great
excitement. Concepts derived from more interactionist sociologies are, how-
ever, of more direct relevance, especially those ideas clustered around the
public/private distinction and the notion, odd sounding though it may in-
itially seem, of sleep as an interaction between observer and observed. One
might postulate, for example, that sleep becomes more private and less
interactive as age increases. The sleep of babies, we may say, is necessarily
an observed activity. Whether this happens though the medium of the bed-
room intercom or the more culturally-prized image of mother literally
watching over the sleeping child, the idea of small childrens sleep being
accessible to others as an acceptable object of observa ti on -- co me in an
see baby sleeping , etc - - renders it a relatively more public activity than
that of older people. A necessary r it e de p s s ge of growing up is therefore
the right to be first left alone unobserved when sleeping, and then achieving
the right to go to sleep at a time, if not for a period, o f one s own choosing.
Few adults, therefore, have their sleep observed in this way except, inter-
estingly enough, during those periods of medical or other institutional-
ization which interactionist sociology indicates as regenerating childlike
status in their adult inmates. Part of the experience of being in hospital,
or indeed in prison is of having one s sleep inadvertently, and of ten delib-
erately, observed by others, a situation not usually encountered since one s
own childhood. Again, documentary texts on the aging process often refer
to institutionalized old peoples complaint of a lack of privacy . One com-
ponent of such denials of privacy is the ability, power and authority of
others, of strangers, to look in when residents are asleep. The reversion
to child-status, and the likely shame that accompanies this unwanted proc-
ess, might have a class or status dimension as well as an age-related one.
Part of the business of one section of society looking down on another
involves the necessarily public sleep of the homeless. Bag-women, tramps,
teenage runaways, the entire urban tribe of street-dwellers are commonly
observed, stepped over, walked around, when privately asleep in public
space. It is difficult for higher status groups not to look down on urban
street dwellers if they are asleep on the sidewalk. Many sociologists have
commented on the necessity of privacy for the maintenance of civilized
social life, and sleep, for adults, is that activity most usually protected by
privacy. Special pl ace s- - beds, special r ooms- - bedrooms 2 8M~ even spe-
cial clothes, what de la Mare calls the uniform of sleep , all serve to
demarcate the sleeper as most physically vulnerable, least socially active
and hence afforded the status of private person par excellence. If this pri-
vacy is withdrawn, adult status is threatened and the sleeper reverts to that
of other such relatively powerless people, babies and patients, who also
have no say in the matter of who may publicly observe them when they
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
5/9
U n c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d o c i et y
67
are privately asleep. There is a more obvious class dimension related to
sleep and this again concerns the public/private distinction but at the other
extreme of the scale of social status. For example, a furor erupted some
years ago in Britain over the discovery of an intruder in the Queen's bed-
room. The scandal, initially about security, was given added piquancy by
the revelation, reported by an apparently perplexed tabloid Press that the
Queen of England slept in a single bed of her own, in a separate room of
her own, and that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen's
husband habitually slept elsewhere in Buckingham Palace. The curiosity
behind this story indicates part of the problem for any sociologist interested
in the social distribution of sleep. One possible surmise is that as the ability
to command privacy in domestic affairs increases with socio-economic
status, it is then hardly surprising to find that married members of the up-
per classes are more likely to make private sleeping arrangements than
those elsewhere on the scale of social status. It is the tenement dweller
who, living five to a room, would find sleeping alone an impossible luxury.
It is in the bedrooms of penthouses and palaces where we might expect to
find single sleeping as a mark of economic achievement. Another point
here, and one which again draws on the unexpectedly available data on
Royal sleeping habits, relates the correlation of social class and sleeping
time- tables. Some years ago, Queen Elizabeth's State visit to Morocco was
thrown into some confusion because of a strict rule governing the sleeping
habits of that country's King Hassan, who had been invited to the State
banquet given in his honor. As it was unheard of for the King's private
bedroom to be entered by any commoner to wake the monarch before his
sleep had come to its natural end, the Queen was left waiting for some
hours for her guest's eventual arrival, an affront to Royal protocol certainly,
but a fascinating insight into the curious correlation between the public
and private dimensions of social class and time operating in high status
groups Time and status may also be said to operate with reference to
gender as a correlate for sleep patterning. It would be interesting to specu-
late from the commonly-accepted notion of gender relations as indicative
of wider inequalities of power. The question of whether females' sleep is
considered less important than that of males' could be operationalized
through a simple research project designed to discover which married part-
ner, for example, is less likely to have their sleep broken by such necessities
as ringing telephones, crying babies, or burglars. Of course, these hypothe-
sized relationships of sleep to age, gender and class are simplistic enough
when presented in this preliminary way. There are, perhaps, more complex
ways of examining the sociological dimensions of sleep and these ought to
involve consideration of the wider cultural context. We might proceed from
the social distribution of sleep, in other words, to some investigation of the
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
6/9
68 aylor
d e f i n it io n s a n d m e a n i n g s c o n v e n t io n a l l y a t t r ib u t e d t o it a n d t o s o m e o t h e r
c o g n a t e a r e a s o f c u l t u r a l l if e.
S O C I O - C U L T U R A L D E F I N I T I O N S O F S L E E P :
S L E E P S E X A N D D E A T H
I h a v e s u g g e s t e d t h a t a l a r g e p a r t o f th e s c ie n t if i c l i t e r a t u r e o n s l e e p
i s c o n c e r n e d w i t h i t s p h y s i o l o g i c a l a n d p a t h o l o g i c a l a s p e c t s . I t i s c u r i o u s
t h a t i f a s e a r c h o f th e s o c i a l- s c ie n t if i c l i te r a t u r e w e r e t a k e n a s a g u i d e f o r
a s u b - d i s c i p l i n a r y l o c a t i o n f o r i t s s o c i o l o g i c a l r e s e a r c h , t h e n i t w o u l d m o s t
p r o b a b l y b e c o n s i d e r e d a s u i ta b l e t o p ic f o r t h e g r o w i n g a r e a o f le i su r e s t u d i e s .
D e s p i t e i ts o f t e n - r e p e a t e d a s p e c t a s a 'b i o lo g i c a l i m p e r a t i v e ' , m a n y r e s p o n -
d e n t s , a s k e d w h a t t h e y d o o r i n t e n d t o d o w i t h t h e i r l e is u r e t im e , e i t h e r
in t e r m s o f w e e k e n d s , v a c a ti o n s , o r r e t i r e m e n t o f f e r s le e p i n g b o t h a s a n
a c c e p t a b l e a n d a d e s i r a b l e l e i s u r e p u r s u i t . W i t h o u t e x t e n d i n g s u c h i d e a s
i n t o t h e r e a l m s o f h i s to r i c a l s o c i o l o g y , i t' s p r o b a b l e t h a t s u c h a n i n i ti a l c o n -
c e p t u a l i z a t i o n o f s l e e p a s l e i s u r e i s o n l y p o s s i b l e f o r g r o u p s i n a s o c i e t y
w h i c h h a v e a t t a i n e d a c e r t a in l e v el o f s o ci al a n d e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t .
A h a r d - w o r k i n g p e a s a n t r y , b y c o n t r a s t , i s l es s li k e ly t o d e f i n e s l e e p a s
l e i s u r e b u t m o r e a s r e s t a f t e r , a n d a r e s p i t e f r o m , e x h a u s t i n g l a b o r . A g a i n ,
a n o t h e r p e r s p e c t i v e is o f f e r e d b y t h e r e s p o n s e s o f a t h l e t e s a n d e x a m c a n -
d i d a t e s , f o r w h o m ' a g o o d n i g h t ' s s l e e p ' is c o n s i d e r e d n e c e s s a r y a s a
p r e p a r a t i o n f o r s o m e i m p o r t a n t l a t e r a c ti v it y. T h e w a y in w h i c h s l e e p i s
c o m m o n s e n s i c a l l y c o n c e i v e d w i ll d e p e n d o n a n i n d i v i d u a l 's s o c ia l lo c a t i o n
a n d t h e i r e c o n o m i c f u n c t i o n . A s is o f t e n t h e c a s e , p o e t s h a v e m a d e t h is
p o i n t m o r e e l e g a n t l y t h a n a n y s o ci o lo g i st , a n d S ir P h il ip S i d n e y n e a t l y
c a t c h e s t h is i d e a i n h is i n v o c a t i o n t o 'S l e e p e , t h e c e r t a i n k n o t o f p e a c e ,
T h e b a i ti n g - p la c e o f w i t, t h e b a l m e o f w o e T h e p o o r e m a n ' s w e a l t h , t h e
p r i s o n e r 's r e l e a s e , T h ' i n d i f f e r e n t j u d g e b e t w e e n e t h e h i g h a n d l o w ." A n d
i f i n n o c e n t s le e p is, i n S h a k e s p e a r e ' s f a m o u s li n e s " S l e e p t h a t k n i t s u p t h e
r a v e l l ' d s l e a v e o f c a r e , T h e d e a t h o f e a c h d a y ' s l i f e , s o r e l a b o u r ' s b a t h ,
b a lm o f h u r t m i n d s . . . " , t h e n w e a r e a t l ea s t i n f o r m e d t h a t M a c b e t h ' s l if e
w a s u n d o u b t e d l y o n e f u ll o f c a r e s f o r s le e p t o b e c o n s i d e r e d a t e m p o r a r y
c u r e f o r t h e m . T h e s e a r e , t h e n , c o n t i n g e n t i n fl u e n c e s o n t h e m e a n i n g s a t-
t a c h e d t o s le e p . A n o t h e r a p p r o a c h to t h e q u e s t i o n o f d e f in i t io n is b y
r e la t in g i t t o t h o s e a p p a r e n t l y u n c o n n e c t e d a r e a s w i th w h i c h s le e p h a s b e e n
t r a d i t io n a l l y , i f d e p r e s s in g l y , a s s o c i a t e d . P h r a s e s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h s l e e p a r e
o f t e n f o u n d i n c o m m o n d i s c u s s i o n o f s e x a n d d e a t h . ' S l e e p i n g w i t h ' , ' s l e e p -
i n g a r o u n d ' a n d s u c h c o g n a t e c l ic h e s h a r d l y r e f e r to t h e u n c o n s c i o u s
i n a c ti v i ty o f s le e p b u t q u i t e l it e r al ly t o t h e i r o p p o s i t e G i v e n t h e r e l a ti v e l y
r e c e n t i n c o r p o r a t i o n i n t o t h e v o c a b u l a r y o f p h r a s e s e x p l ic i tl y l in k i n g s e x
a n d s le e p , c l e a r ly t h r o u g h t h e l i n k o f th e i r s h a r e d s e t t i n g , i t 's w o r t h
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
7/9
U n c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d o c i et y
69
c o n s i d e r i n g h o w t h a t l in k a g e , c e r t a in l y i n t h e c a s e o f u n m a r r i e d c o u p l e s ,
c a n o n l y c o m e a b o u t i n a so c i al c o n t e x t w h i c h p e r m i t s s u c h i n d iv i d u a l s
b o t h p r i v a c y a n d t h e p e r m i s s i o n t o u s e a s a s e t t i n g f o r s e x u a l a c t i v i t y . E x -
t e n d e d f a m i l y n e t w o r k s , w i t h th e i r p r e s s u re o n b e d - s p a c e , c a n h a r d l y h a v e
p e r m i t t e d s u c h l u x u ry , a n d t h e l i n g u is t ic l in k w i t h s ex , a g a in a s m e d i a t e d
b y p o e t s a n d n o v e l is ts , is m o r e u s u a l l y t h e a r c a d i a n o n e o f ' b o w e r s o f b l is s '
f o r w o u l d - b e l o v e r s o f h i g h s t a t u s , a n d ' t u m b l e s i n t h e h a y ' f o r o t h e r s l e s s
a m o r o u s l y p r iv i le g e d . I t w o u l d b e a n i n t r ig u i n g e x e rc i se t o i n v e s t i g a te t h e
s o c i a l h i s t o r y o f t h e d o m e s t i c b e d i n t e r m s o f i t s c u l t u r a l i c o n o g r a p h y . E x -
a m i n a t i o n o f t h e s h i f t a w a y f r o m i t s u s e a s a p l a c e f o r g i v i n g b i r t h a n d a s
i t s c o m m o n u s e a s a s h a r e d s l e e p i n g s p a c e t o w a r d s i t s m o d e r n u s e a s a
p r i v a t e s i t e f o r s l e e p i n g a n d f o r s e x w o u l d , i n a d d i t i o n t o i t s i n t r i n s i c i n -
t e r e s t , i n d i c a t e h o w , d e s p i t e u n l i k e l y i n it ia l p r o s p e c t s , a s o c i o l o g ic a l a c c o u n t
o f sl e e p a n d t h e w a y s in w h i c h i t h a s b e e n d e f i n e d a n d d i s c u s se d c o u l d b e
c o n s t r u c t e d . R u n n i n g t h r o u g h a n y h i s t o r i c a l l y a n d c u l t u r a l l y - s i t u a t e d i n f l u -
e n c e s o n s i t e s f o r s l e e p i n g i s , h o w e v e r , a m o r e p e r m a n e n t l i n k , m a d e b y
m a n y c u l t u r e s a t m a n y t i m e s , b e t w e e n s l e e p , c o n s i d e r e d a s a t r a n s - s o c i a l
s t a te o f b e i n g , a n d d e a t h . T o m b s t o n e i n sc r ip t io n s m a y b e r e l e v a n t d a t a
h e r e , e s p e c i a ll y i n t h e c a s e o f c h il d r e n , w h o a r e c o m m o n l y c l a i m e d n o t t o
b e s o m u c h d e a d a s ' j u s t s l e e p i n g ' . A g a i n , r e l e v a n t a n d u s e f u l q u o t a t i o n s
a r e v e r y n u m e r o u s h e r e . F r o m t h e o p t im i s ti c C h r i s ti a n it y o f S ir T h o m a s
B r o w n e ' s " T h e s e a r e m y d r o w s y d a y s ; i n v a i n I d o n o w w a k e t o s l e e p a g a i n ;
O c o m e t h a t h o u r , w h e n s h a ll n e v e r S le e p a g a in , b u t w a k e f o r e v e r " to
E m i l y B r o n t e ' s r a t h e r m o r e d e p r e s s i n g " S l e e p b r i n g s n o w i s h t o f r e t , M y
h a r r a s e d h e a r t b e n e a t h ; M y o n l y w i s h is t o fo r g e t I n e n d l e s s s le e p o f
d e a t h " , t h e l in k e d t h e m e s o f s le e p a n d d e a t h h a v e p r o v e d i rr e si st ib l e to
m o r a l i st s a n d e v e n t o f i l m - m a k e r s . O n e o f t h e m o r e c u r i o u s a sp e c t s o f t h e
h u g e ly - su c c es s fu l 'F r e d d i e ' f i l m s - - N i g h t m a r e
on lm Street
a n d i t s f o l l o w -
u p s - - is t h a t t h e h y n o p h o b i a a t t h e c e n t e r o f t h e p l o t is b a s e d n o t so m u c h
o n a f e a r o f n i g h t m a r e s , a s d i s t u rb i n g d r e a m s , b u t o n t h e m o r e h o r r i f ic
f e a r o f t h e s u p p o s e d l y r e a l c o n s e q u e n c e s o f f a ll in g a s l e e p - - a f a t a l
e n c o u n t e r w i th a m u r d e r e d c h i ld - m o l e st e r. S le e p h a s o ft e n b e e n m e t a p h o r i -
c a lly a s s o c ia t e d w i t h d e a t h ; o n l y H o l l y w o o d c o u l d s u c c e e d in m a k i n g m o n e y
f r o m m a n i p u l a t i n g t h e f e a r t h a t s l e e p i ts e lf m i g h t a c t u a l l y c a u s e d e a t h .
T h e r e is n o g r e a t d i f f ic u l t y i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h is r e p e a t e d a s s o c i a t io n w i t h
s l e e p a n d d e a t h , t h e a p p a r e n t s i m i l a r i t i e s a r e t o o g r e a t , w i t h t h e s a m e s e n s e
o f i n d i v i d u a l 's b e i n g ' b e y o n d ' t h e r e a c h o f m u n d a n e s o c ia l re a l it y . U n l i k e
d e a t h , h o w e v e r , a b o u t w h i c h L u d w i g W i t t g e n s t e i n c l a i m e d l i t t l e c o u l d b e
m e a n i n g f u l l y sa i d a s it w a s a p r o c e s s w h i c h w e d o n o t ' l iv e t h r o u g h ' , s le e p
is a t e m p o r a l l y b o u n d e d p h e n o m e n o n a n d t h e r e a r e c o n s e q u e n tl y m a n y
w a y s i n w h i c h i t h a s b e e n s p e c i f i c a l l y t a l k e d a b o u t . T h a t a n a l y s i s h a s n o t
o r d i n a r i l y b e e n u n d e r t a k e n b y s o c ia l sc i e nt is ts , a n d y e t t h e i n s ig h t s o f
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
8/9
47 aylor
novelists provide much interesting material for any sociology attuned to
the 'meanings of the margins' of social life. The 'Watchman, What of the
Night?' chapter in Djuna Barnes' 1936 novel
Nightwood
contains the ele-
gant assertion that I used to t h i n k . . , that people just went to sleep, or
if they did not go to sleep that they were themselves, but now . . . I see
that the night does something to a person's identity, even when asleep .
Again, the exquisite phenomenology of the opening pages of Swa nn s Way,
the first volume, of Marcel Proust's A
la Recherche du Te m ps Perdu,
be-
ginning with the words For a long time I used to go to bed early provide
an excellent introduction to what might be rather more inelegantly be called
the philosophical sociology of sleep. Prior to these abstruse considerations,
though, one last area in which a sociologist might find something to say
about sleep concerns the notion of discourse, the ways in which people
talk about sleep in social interaction and, crucially, exploit that talk for
purposes of social interaction.
SLEEP AND THE SOCIAL USES OF SOCIAL INACTION
Social historians of gender relations often mention the ways in which
'respectable' ladies would make use of impending unconsciousness--
having a 'dizzy spell' or even actually fainting in public, to bring to a
sudden and perfectly acceptable end their involvement in a social setting
no longer agreeable to them. The ploy had the pleasant effect of trans-
forming the sufferer's boredom into a concentrated attention to their
immediate medical needs necessary for their desired removal from the
scene, all carried out without any intimation of anti-social behavior. There
is a reasonable surmise that sleep, and its necessity, may have taken over
from the rather less acceptable social uses of fainting, as what might be
termed one of the conscious uses of unconsciousness. Claiming that one
'has to be up early in the morning' can terminate an evening social
gathering without embarrassment and, importantly, any possibility of the
truth of the claim having to be tested. The need for sleep, then, as a
preparation for tomorrow's events, can be safely exploited as a device for
bringing to a premature end a social activity of the previous evening
considered unendurable or simply boring. Whereas a bald assertion that
the activity or its participants has become 'tiring' would risk social censure,
the sleep requirements of the supposedly busy may have much the same
effect as that afforded the fainting fit of Victorian ladies with apologies,
understanding, acceptably swift removal from the scene and perhaps even
envy. Sleep, then, may be socially inactive, but talk about sleep can have
its undeniably social uses. Similarly, claims about the amount and quality
of sleep can carry subtle messages about social status. Successful
-
8/21/2019 Sociologia Somnului Taylor
9/9
U n c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d o c i et y
47
e x e c u t i v e s l ay st re s s o n t h e s h o r t a m o u n t o f s le e p w h i c h t h e i r h e c t i c
s c h e d u l e s a l lo w a n d t h e r e a r e f a s c i n a ti n g a s p e c t s to t h e l i t e r a t u r e o n
u n e m p l o y m e n t w h i c h s u g g e s ts t h a t i n d i v id u a l s w h o a r e i n it ia l ly a b l e t o
s l e e p l a te n e v e r t h e l e s s a t t e m p t t o k e e p t o t h e s l e e p i n g t im e t a b l e s o f th e i r
p r e v i o u s w o r k i n g liv e s. T h e f r a m e w o r k p r o v i d e d b y s u c h t i m e t a b l e s is a n
i m p o r t a n t b u l w a r k o f p e r s o n a l i d e n t it y i n t h e n e w l y u n e m p l o y e d . S l e e p ,
i n s h o r t , h a s s o c i a l u s e s a n d c a r r i e s s o c i a l m e a n i n g s .
T h e s e b r i e f n o t e s h a v e a t t e m p t e d , a l b e i t sp e c u l a ti v e ly , t o s u g g e s t t h a t ,
d e s p i t e i n i t i a l i m p r e s s i o n s , s o c i a l s c i e n t i s t s m a y , a f t e r a l l , h a v e s o m e t h i n g
t o s a y a b o u t a f e a t u r e o f s o c ia l li fe s o c o m m o n , s o m u n d a n e a n d s o e v e-
r y d a y t o h a v e l a rg e l y e v a d e d s e r io u s s o c io l o g ic a l i n t e r e st . A d m i t t e d l y , t h is
i n d i f f e r e n c e m a y h a v e a r i s e n b e c a u s e t h e d i s c ip l in e h a s h a d m o r e s e r i o u s
s u b j e c ts t o c o n s i d e r a n d m o r e p r e s s in g m a t t e r s t o c o n c e r n i ts e lf w i t h . Y e t ,
a s S a m u e l J o h n s o n r e m i n d s u s, o u r c u r io s it y o u g h t t o b e a r o u s e d i f o n l y
b e c a u s e " s l e e p i s a s t a t e i n w h i c h a g r e a t p a r t o f e v e r y l i f e i s p a s s e d " b u t
t h a t p e r h a p s b e c a u s e o f th is , " n a t u r e h a s t a k e n s u f f ic i e n t c a r e t h a t t h e o r y
s h a l l h a v e l i t t l e i n f l u e n c e o n p r a c t i c e " a n d t h e ' s p e c u l a t i s t ' , n o t c o n t e n t
w i t h s u p e r f i c i a l v i e w s , " h a r a s s e s h i m s e l f w i t h f r u i t le s s c u r i o s i t y , a n d s ti ll a s
h e e n q u i r e s m o r e , p e r c e i v e s o n l y t h a t h e k n o w s le s s ". S o c io l o g is ts , n o l es s
t h a n o t h e r i n t e l l e c t u a l e n q u i r e r s , o u g h t a t l e a s t t o a g r e e w i t h t h e w i s d o m
o f t h a t a m b i t i o n . A f i n a l, l es s s e r i o u s n o t e , is s o u n d e d b y t h e p o e t R o b e r t
S o u t h e y ' s r e c o l le c t io n o f t h e s o p o r i fi c e ff e c ts o f s o m e o f h is u n d e r g r a d u a t e
l e c tu r e r s, w h o s e " m a n n e r , t h e m a t t e r, e v e n t h e v e r y a t m o s p h e r e " s e r v e d
t o i n d u c e s l u m b e r . T h e d r o w s y i m a g e o f th e s t u d e n t " w h o w h e n b y s t r o n g
e f f o r t , l i ft e d u p h is h e a d a n d f o r c e d o p e n t h e r e l u c t a n t e y e s n e v e r f a i le d
t o s e e a ll a r o u n d h i m a s l e ep " , s er v es a s a c a u t i o n a r y r e m i n d e r . N o m a t t e r
w h a t s o c io l o g y m a y h a v e t o s a y a b o u t s le e p , m a n y g e n e r a t i o n s o f it s s tu -
d e n t s c a n a t l e a s t a t t e s t t o t h e r e m a r k a b l e s u c c e s s w h i c h s o m e o f t h e i r
l e c t u r e r s h a v e h a d i n i n d u c i n g i t
top related