Research on sleep in Korean society remains an understudied topic in social and cultural history. This research identifies and analyzes the meanings of sleep as expressed in Joseon period diaries with a focus of entries, accounts, and mentions in Swae...
Research on sleep in Korean society remains an understudied topic in social and cultural history. This research identifies and analyzes the meanings of sleep as expressed in Joseon period diaries with a focus of entries, accounts, and mentions in Swaemirok and Byeongja-ilgi (Diary of Byeongja Year). Using diary data, we first conceptualized and contextualized the meaning of sleep as used in these texts. Focusing particularly on temporal/spatial contexts in which sleep was recorded, we found that ‘sleep’ not only indicated the presence of unconsciously resting bodies (or somni-related activities), but also served as means of expressing hospitalities and non-sleep related nighttime activities. This study explored the social significance of these accounts and problematized how various events, incidents, and activities mattered especially in cases when expressions of sleep or sleep-related texts were recorded in relation to activities falling outside of nocturnal hours. This research thus revealed how social contexts could alter historical interpretations of human activities as a whole, while exposing Confucian norms of people living and sleeping during the Joseon period. As an exploratory study, this research provides a modest but novel approach to investigating an understudied aspect of everyday life of Joseon society.