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Time Cultures and Sustainable Futures: Theoretical Concepts and Practical Tools
Time Cultures and Sustainable Futures: Theoretical Concepts and Practical Tools
Thursday, 14 July 2016: 14:15-15:45
Location: Hörsaal 50 (Main Building)
RC24 Environment and Society (host committee) Language: English
The transition to sustainable forms of production and consumption will require a shift in how people view and use time. Moreover, transformations towards greater sustainability require closer alignment of socio-economic modes of organization with the rhythms of natural regeneration.
This session considers the concept of “time cultures”, that is, shared repertoires of time-related meanings and solutions to everyday problems, as a novel tool for examining the (un)sustainable nature of society. It also asks what practices and ethics are needed to raise awareness of the modes of time associated with current forms of social organization and to open time-sensitive pathways towards more sustainable futures. The session focuses on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the temporal dimension of sustainability, e.g.:
- In what ways are time and sustainability connected?
- How do dominant conceptions of time produce unsustainable forms of life?
- Which conceptual vocabularies and practical tools already exist for theorising the temporal dimension of sustainability?
- How can we evaluate the sustainability of particular time cultures?
- What are the methodological implications for time analysis and studying time cultures?
- What role can time-cultural diversity and the promotion of alternative time cultures play in sustainability initiatives?
- How does an understanding of the temporal dimension of sustainability aid the creation of alternative futures?
Session Organizers: