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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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