David Sabean

David Sabean is a Distinguished Research Professor and holds the Henry J. Bruman Endowed Chair in German History at UCLA's Department of History within the College of Social Sciences. His career includes academic roles at the University of East Anglia, University of Pittsburgh, Max-Planck-Institut für Geschichte in Göttingen, and Cornell University before returning to UCLA. He specializes in social and cultural history, with a focus on early modern Germany, kinship studies, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Education:

• Bachelor's from Houghton College
• PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison under George Mosse

Research Interests: Sabean explores the intersection of social structure, culture, and kinship in European history. His work rethinks traditional historiographical categories through cultural studies frameworks, emphasizing gender, class, and narrative analysis. Recent projects include studies on narrativity in bureaucratic writing, long-term kinship history, and incest discourse.

Awards:

• Guggenheim Fellow
• Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize
• American Academy Berlin Prize
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences Membership

Advising & Grants: Sabean has advised numerous graduate students in European history and interdisciplinary studies. His grants include support for collaborative research projects on kinship, family history, and cultural historiography. He co-edited volumes on kinship and organized conferences on topics like 'places of the self' and 'international families.'

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with international scholars via the Max Planck Institute, Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin, and Cornell-UCLA networks. Co-leads projects on sibling relations, legal history, and comparative cultural analysis.