Night Matters—Why the Interdisciplinary Field of “Night Studies” Is Needed

Abstract

The night has historically been neglected in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research. To some extent, this is not surprising, given the diurnal bias of human researchers and the difficulty of performing work at night. The night is, however, a critical element of biological, chemical, physical, and social systems on Earth. Moreover, research into social issues such as inequality, demographic changes, and the transition to a sustainable economy will be compromised if the night is not considered. Recent years, however, have seen a surge in research into the night. We argue that “night studies” is on the cusp of coming into its own as an interdisciplinary field, and that when it does, the field will consider questions that disciplinary researchers have not yet thought to ask.

Urban Lighting Research Transdisciplinary Framework—A Collaborative Process with Lighting Professionals

“…The actions against light pollution and the improper management of lighting applications are not necessarily a confrontation between ALAN researchers and lighting professionals [ 39 , 92 ], but rather an attempt to start a transdisciplinary collaboration between experts, which includes best practice and sustainable lighting applications that serve society’s interests while respecting ecology [ 93 ]. An example of a transdisciplinary collaboration between environmental and lighting experts occurred in the city of Berlin, Germany, in 2011.…”

Because the Night Belongs to Us

“…The number of topics addressed in this brilliant special issue highlight how necessary transdisciplinarity is in order to capture the whole complexity and very complex range of phenomena currently taking place in the urban night across the world. By taking Beirut (Lebanon), Dakar (Senegal), Lisbon (Portugal) and three French cities (Marseille, Paris, and Montpellier), this collection of articles explores topics that count with a vibrant current development within the field of »'Night Studies » (Hollands, 2015 ; Nofre, Eldridge, 2018 ; Kyba et al, 2019). Some of the topics show a consolidated epistemological trajectory, such as the relationship between Night-Time Economy (NTE) and urban policies; noise and light pollution; conflicts between different local actors (residents, patrons and venues' owners); institutional and/or community response to such conflicts; and inequalities inflected by class, gender, age, geographic and/or natio-nal origin, cultural background, religion and its multiple intersections.…”

“…With no doubt, the urban night has recently emerged as an exciting scholar field, although enormous challenges are jeopardising its normal evolution towards a consolidated interdisciplinary field. While, in a recent article Kyba et al (2019) argue that further networking and institutionalisation of « Night Studies » is urgently needed in order to develop into a recognized interdisciplinary field, here some other « hidden aspects » of the academy should be highlighted as major threats for the development of the interdisciplinary field of « Night Studies ». On the one hand, nightlife is still considered as a synonym of vice, sin and immorality at the institutional level in most countries across the world.…”

“…This perverse vision about the night is also shared by many young and old scholars who belong to conservative (even reactionary) forces (although they are often deftly camouflaged as « leftists ») that, at the same time, have strengthened their presence in many universities in Europe and overseas. On the other hand, the interdisciplinarity that Kyba et al (2019) appeal for the field of « Night Studies » seems to replicate traditional, rigid and even sometimes protectionist disciplinary division of sciences. However, these current times of global illiberalism (Reed, 2019), and growing repression against women, ethnic and sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups, demands, with special emphasis on urban contexts from both Global North and South, the adoption an interdisciplinary approach based especially on queer, postcolonial/ decolonial, intersectional and feminist approaches that does neither appear in Kyba et al (2019).…”

“…On the other hand, the interdisciplinarity that Kyba et al (2019) appeal for the field of « Night Studies » seems to replicate traditional, rigid and even sometimes protectionist disciplinary division of sciences. However, these current times of global illiberalism (Reed, 2019), and growing repression against women, ethnic and sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups, demands, with special emphasis on urban contexts from both Global North and South, the adoption an interdisciplinary approach based especially on queer, postcolonial/ decolonial, intersectional and feminist approaches that does neither appear in Kyba et al (2019). This is only possible if we break the male-dominated, patriarchal, heteronormative academy.…”