A Theory of Social Time and Emotion

• In Event: 078 - Section on Sociology of Culture Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 01. Culture and Cognition

Abstract

This paper presents a theory of “social time”—the sense of collective rhythm and trajectory created by social groups—that focuses on how social time produces problematic emotional outcomes, such as feeling rushed, anxious, and pressed. It argues that the existing paradigm for studying social time, which is based on the concept of the clock hour, and the dominant hypothesis for explaining why social time produces emotional strain, the “time squeeze” hypothesis, are inadequate both theoretically and empirically. Drawing on insights from a range of social theorists, such as Barbara Adam, John Dewey, Henri Lefebvre, and Eviatar Zerubavel, the paper develops three concepts: social rhythm, timescape and time map. These concepts provide a more plausible account of how social time produces emotional strain and point to a new research agenda.

Author

• Benjamin Harrison Snyder, Victoria University of Wellington