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Time as a social practice

Time & Society

Published online on

Abstract

If there is more than one time, what is a time and how do they relate to each other? I argue that times order something more basic that we may call temporality. Temporality involves more than past, present, and future; it includes duration, access, inevitability, and much more. Times are social efforts to translate operations of temporality into meaningful codes and organize their material influence. Times relate primarily by translation and material influence. One reinforcing set has emerged that reifies a simple notion of time that makes it difficult to imagine other times. This is starting to change.