Xerox University Microfilms 300 North ZM Bftoad Ann Arbor, Mlengan 43106 J I I I 75-11,422 SCHHALLEGER, Frank Anthony, 1947- the SOCIOLOGY of DREAMS
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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North ZM bftoad Ann Arbor, MleNgan 43106 J I I I 75-11,422 SCHHALLEGER, Frank Anthony, 1947- THE SOCIOLOGY OF DREAMS. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1974 Sociology, general Xerox University MicrofilmsAnn , Arbor, Michigan 48106 0 1975 FRANK ANTHONY SCHMALLEGER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. PLEASE NOTE: page v and pages 167 - 169 are lacking in number only. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS THE SOCIOLOGY OF DREAMS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Frank Schmalleger, B.B.A., M.A. The Ohio State University 1974 Reading Committee: Approved by Professor Alfred Clarke Professor Gisela Hinkle Professor John Seidler Professor Simon Dinitz Professor Catherine Callaghan j/ Adviser Department of Sociology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author is indebted to those whose efforts have made this dissertation a reality. Dr. Gisela Hinkle provided the impetus for this study, and assisted with the formulation of many important theoretical concepts. She also supplied the guidance necessary for the main tenance of a sociological perspective. Dr. Simon Dinitz was especially helpful at a time when other concerns were very demanding of his time, and to him I owe a special thanks. Professor Alfred Clarke contributed a great deal to the study by helping me to clearly visualize its theoretical and practical impli cations, and to thereby recognize its implications for the field of sociology in general. Father John Seidler was a constant guide and helpful critic, whose efforts added a great deal to the overall validity and reada bility of this study. I will always be grateful to Dr. Catherine Cal laghan for all of the time and energy she devoted to field research as well as to the clarification of theo retical concepts. Without her extensive efforts this study would have been greatly impovrished. ii My sincere appreciation is also extended to the many members of the various groups studied, and espe cially to Reverend Elizabeth Bacon for her generous as sistance in providing a great deal of information which would not otherwise have been available. iii VITA August 28, 1947.................. Born - Palmer ton, Pa. 1969....... ..B.B.A., Univ. of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind. 1970.............................. M.A., Ohio State Univ. Columbus, Ohio 1970-197 1.........................Teaching Assistant, Dept, of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1971-197 2 .........................Research Associate, The Disaster Research Center Columbus, Ohio 1972-197 3 .........................Teaching Associate, Dept, of Sociology, The Ohio State Univer sity, Columbus, Ohio 1973-presen t ..................... Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dept, of So ciology and Social Wel fare, Ohio Dominican College, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Fields: Criminology, Social Psychology, Phenomen ological Sociology, and Sociology of Religion iv t TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................. ii VITA............................................... V LIST OF TABLES.................................... viil CHAPTER I. Historical and Theoretical Founda tions 1 Introduction.............. ...... 1 Theoretical Foundations............. 4 Social Interpretations of Dreams.... 10 Physiological Interpretations 13 Prophetic Interpretations........... 19 Psychological Interpretations....... 26 Occult Interpretations.............. 33 Theological Interpretations......... 40 Experimental Literature............. 42 II. The Study Described.............. 54 The Completed Study................. 59 Description of Groups............... 70 III. An Overview of the Findings......... 91 Frequency ...................... 91 Dream Importance..................... 98 Dream Interpretations............... 125 Dream Content . .......... .............. 133 IV. A Case Study................. 142 Description............ .......... 142 Functions............................ 146 Knowledge............................ 150 Guidance. ........ 159 Personal Development...... .......... 161 Social Interaction.................. 166 Enjoyment.......................... 172 vi Table of Contents, cont. PAGE IV. cont. Latent Functions..................... 174 Re-Sociali zation.................... 174 Identity Creation and Status........ 180 Creating and Legitimating Deviance.. 184 Therapy................ 186 Legitimation and Interpretation 192 Dysfunctions......................... 202 V. Summary and Conclusions................ 212 The Method........................... 216 Groups............................... 218 Data Collection...................... 221 Findings............................. 221 The Case Study....................... 223 Manifest Functions.................. 223 Latent Functions..................... 225 Dream Dysfunctions.............. 227 Peripheral Findings................. 229 Contributions to Sociological Re search ............... .......... 2 30 Suggestions for Future Research 233 APPENDIX A Tables 8-13.......................... 237 B Questionnaire........................ 244 C Coding Information.................. 250 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................... 252 vii LIST OF TABLES PAGE 1 Basic Variables...................... 1 2 Frequency of Dream Recall*.......... 92 3 Importance of Dreams................ 94 4 Frequency of Dream Discussion....... 96 5 Structural Analysis of Sample Groups for Dream Interpretation.*...... 101 6 Attitudinal Responses............... 105 7 Correlation Coefficients..... 108 8 Response Rates....................... 238 9 Study Groups by Education........... 239 10 Study Groups by Income.............. 240 11 Self Reported Religiosity........... 241 12 Dream Interpretations and Causes.... 242 13 Dream Content........................ 243 viii CHAPTER I HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Introduction The sociology of knowledge has established that any human experience common to many individuals may be interpreted differently within different group contexts.* To be a female, for example, is an experience which, while shared by females everywhere, has a meaning de pendent upon the cultural context. To be a female in American society largely means something quite different than it does in Eskimo, Chinese, or Indian society. Likewise, we would expect that femininity is socially in terpreted in different ways by various subgroups within the same society. In other words, the meaning of any experience is culturally relative. The present chapter, the first in this study, em ploys a phenomenological perspective as an introduction to the sociological study of one such common experience in American culture. The experience is that of dreaming. This chapter also provides a review of existing dream literature and describes dream interpretations as they 1 2 have appeared throughout history. It is to be expected that the differing historical and social experiences of various American subgroups will result in variations of dream content, dream interpre tation, and dream usage among these groups. For example, some groups, because of cultural heritage, historical contingencies, social deprivation or the like, might in terpret dreams as prophetic. Other groups might employ psychoanalytic interpretations, while others may impute no importance to dreams. Likewise, traditional themes or myths may be expected to recur in the dreams of those sharing certain cultural elements. In addition to dif ferential dream content and interpretation it is to be expected that the