Sociologìas del tiempo. Sujetos y tiempo en la sociedad de la aceleración

The book investigates the temporal cultures of the new millennium and their effects on the biographical constructs of the subjects, in particular of youths and women. The acceleration of social rhythms, which constitutes an important economic strategy in the context of the globalized economy, produces a widespread cult of urgency in daily life. Consequently, from growing temporal pressure, also the capacity to control time of life is weakened. This aspect results particularly burdensome for youths transitioning into adulthood, and forced to face the idea of an ever more uncertain future. With the changing relationship to time, also the methods of constructing experience change: ever more often these result fragmented and punctiform, forced to face temporal discontinuity. The book is divided into two parts. The first (Time in society) investigates first the theoretical foundation for the sociology of time, beginning from the classics of sociological thought. Upon this basis the reflection on the main changes that, in the contemporary age, have influenced the relationship with social time is developed. The growing ‘acceleration’ of life in society changes not only the relationship with the present, but also that with the future and with the past, transforming the very processes of memory. The second part (Time of the subjects) focuses on the ways in which young men and young women face this uncertain temporal passage: on the strategies that are used to maintain forms of power over personal time in any case; on the re-elaboration under the profile of identity that this entails; on their relationship with the future. In particular, regarding young women, attention is focused on the awareness of the multiplicity of times of life that they express, and on their reflections on time of the biography.