ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ

There is a widespread perception that life is faster than it used to be, that we constantly feel rushed and pressed for time. We feel that there are not enough hours in the day and that our e-mails are clogging up our smartphones. Contemporary social theory claims that digital technologies are driving this speed-up: they are seen as inexorably propelling acceleration of the pace of everyday life. How do we evaluate these theories from an STS perspective? Why do we vacillate between regarding digital devices as the cause of time pressure and turning to them as the solution? In this talk I will argue that the contemporary imperative of speed is as much as cultural artifact as it is a technological one.

Judy Wajcman is the Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics.

Professor Wajcman's scholarly interests encompass the sociology of work and employment, science and technology studies, gender theory, and organizational analysis. Her latest book, Pressed for Time: The Acceleration of Life in Digital Capitalism was published with Chicago University Press in 2014.

Poster: