If one excludes studies on dreams and dreaming, sleep has to date
been a curiously neglected phenomenon in medical anthropology and
anthropology more broadly. This neglect is curious not only because
sleep (like eating or drinking) is crucial for our health and
well-being, because we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, and
because sleep or the lack thereof is an omnipresent topic in daily
conversations and the media; it is also curious because sleep
fundamentally affects how social life is organized and, as such, should
be of interest to anthropologists.
Sleep can be studied from a broad variety of anthropological angles.
Sleep – how it is used to discipline and govern – is a topic for
political anthropology (e.g. Williams, 2011; Crary, 2013). Sleep – its
evolution and the unresolved question of its function for human and
other-than-human life worlds – is a topic for biological anthropology
(Samson, 2021). The medicalization of sleep, changing categorizations
and lived experiences of sleep disorders, or the dynamic and growing
field of sleep science are rich topics for medical anthropology and STS
(e.g. Wolf-Meyer, 2012). Sleep, of course, is also an important topic
for social anthropology more generally: Sleeps affects who we are and
how we relate to others. Where, when, how, and with whom people sleep is
inherently bound up with their work and personal life. Studying sleep
can provide insights into, for instance, class structures, family and
life course dynamics, intimate relations, and forms of care – not just
in different contemporary societies, but also historically (e.g. Brunt
& Steger, 2008; Glaskin & Chenhall, 2013; Ekirch, 2005).
In this course, we will venture into the night – so to speak – to
explore recent debates and developments in the anthropology of sleep. In
the first part (seven sessions on a weekly basis), we will read and
discuss key publications on sleep in very different subfields of
anthropology. Drawing on these readings and their own personal
interests, students will then have time until the end of January to
develop ideas for an oral presentation at the block day which will also
serve as the basis for their written assessment (Hausarbeit). Students
can explore anthropological debates on sleep and dreaming, analyze
portrayals of sleep in films, art, literature, or the media, or even
gather own empirical material (e.g. conduct an interview with someone
about their sleep habits or sleep problems). The third part of the
course is a one-day block seminar at the end of January, during which
students will present their findings and ideas for their Hausarbeit.
Organisatorisches:
Termine:
14.10., 21.10., 28.10.,11.,18.11.,25.11.,2.12.2022
27.1.2023. 9-17 Uhr, S 202
Expectations & Examination:
Students are expected to carefully prepare the assigned readings and
participate actively in class. The assessment (Prüfungsleistung)
consists of two parts: a) an oral presentation (approx. 20 minutes) at
the block seminar and b) a written paper (Hausarbeit, approx. 12-14
pages) based on this presentation. Due date: 31.03.2023