Doubt, Conflict, Mediation: The Anthropology Of Modern Time

This is an interdisciplinary reassessment of standard assumptions in social theory about time and modernity. Bringing together leading scholars in both sociology and anthropology, it rethinks capitalist and neo-liberal conceptions of time. What is modern time? Reopening a question fundamental to the disciplines of anthropology and sociology, this volume challenges existing approaches to capitalist time. Through ethnographies of economic, bureaucratic, and political institutions across the world, it explores how they mediate representations, techniques, and rhythms of time. The timescapes of biotech laboratories, civic organizations, planning offices, global sea trade, social movements, urban squatting, and state bureaucracies are explored. New analytical tools derived from a wide range of authors, including Althusser, Deleuze, Gell, Marx, Munn, Negri, and Postone are offered. Overall the volume argues that time in modernity is characterized by doubt, conflict, and mediation. This makes it the most precious and contentious resource of our age. Doubt, Conflict, Mediation is an interdisciplinary examination and reassessment of standard assumptions in social theory about modern time. Rethinks capitalist and neo-liberal conceptions of time from both a sociological and anthropological perspective Blends innovative and rich ethnographic studies from around the world with clear theoretical approaches Examines the timescapes of a variety of institutions and social movements, such as biotech laboratories, civic organizations, planning offices, global sea-trade, urban squatting, and state bureaucracies