Timing geopolitics: a conceptual matrix

2022

This conference brought together scholars working on the interrelationship between time and politics, temporality, and histori­ography in order to systematize debates on chronopolitics and to connect theoretical work on temporalities with traditional historical research.

Time and Culture * Temps et culture, ed. Ecaterina Lung et al. (București: Editura Universității din București) , 2017

This paper analyses the state of imminence – as a chronopolitical concept which legitimates state action – in the context of weakened state sovereignty. Due to this chrono-closeness – as theorised in the early ‘90s by scholars such as James Der Derian – the measures taken in safeguarding one’s borders, values, ways of life, have rewired the tenets on which state relations are built. As a result, the gap between the discursive representation of reality and the “reality” on the ground grows increasingly apart. In order to better assess how time mediates space, the paper researches in the first part, the concept of “chronopolitics” from both a philosophical and an International Relations perspective, while in the second part, attempts to frame this concept by examining the media narrative surrounding the causes behind a military intervention. In particular, the case-study addresses from the point of view of a critical discourse analysis, the media creation of an imminent danger posed by the terrorist group, Khorasan in September 2014, during the week in which the U.S. military intervention began in Syria. Its quick descent into media oblivion, soon afterwards, exemplifies how the concepts of time, space, imminence and sovereignty are intertwined courtesy of chronopolitics.

Time, Temporality and Global Politics (Bristol: E-IR, 2016) Andrew Hom, Christopher McIntosh, Alasdair MacKay, Liam Stockdale (ed.)

Jiseigaku Heno Chosen: Seiji Kenkyu No Jikanron Teki Tenkai (Challenge of Chrono-Politics: Temporal Turn in the study of politics), Minerva Publishing, 2021, Chapter 11, 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to show that there are two types of temporal theories in the study of international relations, namely, the "substituting type" and the "de-substituting type," to clarify the problems of both types, and to present the issues that must be considered in order to construct temporal studies in the future. Specifically, the first section analyzes the basic issues, and the second section examines the current status and issues of the "temporal turn" derived from critical theory, and clarifies the structural aporia of temporal theory in international relations studies and its causes. It will be shown that this aporia is not only limited to temporal theory, but is also a structural problem in which critical theories in international relations studies are in a state of limbo with their adversaries, the "mainstream" state-centered theories of international relations. Section 3 discusses Japanese philosopher Shozo Omori's theory of time, and Section 4 draws on Japanese sociologist Sosuke Mita's comparative sociological theory of time (including his works under the name "Yusuke Maki") to identify issues that time theory in international relations research has not been able to consider. Finally, in Section 5, I summarize the discussion and present the theoretical issues of temporality studies starting from a fundamental consideration of the relationship between proto-time and (proto)space.

2016

International Relations scholars have traditionally expressed little direct interest in addressing time and temporality. Yet, assumptions about temporality are at the core of many theories of world politics and time is a crucial component of the human condition and our social reality. Today, a small but emerging strand of literature has emerged to meet questions concerning time and temporality and its relationship to International Relations head on. This volume provides a platform to continue this work. The chapters in this book address subjects such as identity, terrorism, war, gender relations, global ethics and governance in order to demonstrate how focusing on the temporal aspects of such phenomena can enhance our understanding of the world. 134 Islam and the Politics of Temporality: The Case of ISIS

This paper is a conceptual scoping of the construction and maintenance of time in peace processes. It argues that the temporal dimensions of peacemaking are culturally specific constructions that go beyond scalar or measurable time. The various constructions of time merge, coexist, and impinge on each other to form hybrid conceptualisations and practices of time. This paper concentrates on what are probably the two most important conceptualisations of time in relation to peace processes: political time and sociological time. Political time pertains to formalised concepts of time that are often constructed and maintained by military and political elites. It may include dates for elections, the timing of ceasefires, or deadlines for peace negotiations. Sociological time refers to non-elite concepts of time that may revolve around the everyday activities of family life, work, and cultural pursuits

Time, Temporality and Violence in International Relations, 2016

The British Journal of Sociology, 2022

Time and temporality are common themes in the social sciences and sociology. The sociological literature on time remains solipsistically empirical, while theoretical elaborations are focused on modernity, capitalism, and technology, through notions of speed and acceleration. Although existing studies on time are imbued with political issues and processes, as the subfield that studies relations of power and politics, political sociology has yet to consolidate a temporal lexicon for studying structures of power and political phenomena. This review situates three recent books on time and politics within a broader sociological literature on time and calls for a political sociology of time. I argue that developing a conceptual apparatus that takes time as an element of power is fundamental to building dialogue across the empirical material and across disciplines. I conclude by offering three avenues for the development of a political sociology of time.