This seminar focuses on the importance of notions of history and social time for political and social theories. Moreover, it explores how time experience is related to ideas of political agency and social identity. Starting with the concept of modernity, we discuss how specific concepts of historical time have shaped political ideas and global politics over the past centuries. We interrogate the idea of progress and discuss its connections to colonial expansion and contemporary global politics. Moreover, we ask whether the idea of emancipatory politics is bound up with concrete notions of the future. Finally, based on our discussion of the roles time measurements, rhythms and speeds have played in industrial and post-industrial societies, we explore ideas about the importance of establishing other time-regimes for more sustainable, caring and democratic societies.

Literatur

Adam, Barbara. 1994. Time and Social Theory.

Allen, Amy. 2016. The End of Progress

Hassan, Robert. 2009. Empires of speed: Time and the acceleration of politics and society

Hutchings, Kimberly. 2008. Time and World Politics: Thinking the Present