Sean Heath, Ph.D.
Exploring the cultural depths of sport, water, and wellbeing to connect humanity and the planet
Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven
I am interested in how human-water relations shape planetary wellbeing
I’m a social anthropologist and expert on the cultural manifestations of sport with a particular focus on wellbeing in blue spaces, including swimming and other immersive leisure activities.
I have broader interests in water stewardship, childhood and youth, gender, play, the politics of bodily movement and the senses.
I have a background in aquatics having worked as a lifeguard, swimming instructor, and coach in Canada and the UK. As a researcher, I have conducted fieldwork in Canada, the UK, Norway and Belgium.
Research
Explore my past and present research projects exploring what it means to be human along with water.
Writing
Read some of my recent scholarly and public work on anthropology, sport, and watery environments.
Discover how a social anthropology studies the impacts of cold water bathing and outdoor swimming on human and environmental wellbeing.
Learn about the significance of how we learn to move our bodies and share that knowledge.
Discover how a social anthropologist studies the impacts of competetive sport partiticaption on young people’s health and wellbeing.
Learn about the significance of blue spaces in promoting physical and mental wellbeing through shared activities.
Exploring human-water ties
Discover how watery environments impact social behaviors and shape planetary wellbeing.
Sean Heath, Ph.D. 