Global Capitalism and the Critique of Real Time

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

Digital technologies globally interlink finance, production, consumption, mass communication, and cyberculture. The processes of interlinkage generate the sense that time is accelerating towards instantaneity. Promoters and critical observers of such developments have created a proliferating discourse of ‘real time’. This key phrase and its associated terminology covers a diversity of referent spaces (e.g. cyberculture, financial flows, supply-chain management, on-line selling, live media events). In the context of global capitalism, discursive constructions of ‘real time’ are interrelated with new temporal constructions of systemic power. The nature of this interrelationship is obscured by the ideological features of ‘real time’ terminology. Here, this argument will be developed with references to popular business literature and (supposedly) critical academic writings. I conclude with a set of preliminary requirements for an effective critique of ‘real time’.

Object Details

• Extent: Seite(n): 275-302
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Postprint; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Time & Society, 15(2-3)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Soziologie, Anthropologie ; Soziologie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hope, Wayne
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (when): 2006

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X06066943
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-223301
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST