Time–space compression: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Idea in space–time}}

'''Time–space compression''' (also known as '''space–time compression''' and '''time–space distanciation'''), articulated in 1989 by geographer [[David Harvey (geographer)|David Harvey]] in ''The Condition of [[Postmodernity]]'',<ref>Harvey, David. ''The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change''. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1990.</ref> refers to any phenomenon that alters the qualities of and relationship between space and time. Harvey's idea was rooted in Karl Marx's theory of the "annihilation of time by space". A similar idea was proposed by [[Elmar Altvater]] in an article in ''[[PROKLA]]'' in 1987, translated into English as "Ecological and Economic Modalities of Time and Space" and published in ''[[Capitalism Nature Socialism]]'' in 1989.

'''Time–space compression''' (also known as '''space–time compression''' and '''time–space distanciation''') is an idea referring to the altering of the qualities of [[spacetime|space–time]] and the relationship between space and time that is a consequence of the expansion of [[Capital (economics)|capital]]. It is rooted in [[Karl Marx]]'s notion of the "annihilation of space by time" originally elaborated in the ''[[Grundrisse]]'',<ref>Marx, Karl. ''Grundrisse''. Penguin Classics, 1993. pp.&nbsp;539.</ref> and was later articulated by Marxist geographer [[David Harvey (geographer)|David Harvey]] in his book ''The Condition of Postmodernity''.<ref>Harvey, David. ''The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change''. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1990.</ref> A similar idea was proposed by [[Elmar Altvater]] in an article in ''PROKLA'' in 1987,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Altvater |first=Elmar |year=1987 |title=Ökologische und ökonomische Modalitäten von Zeit und Raum |journal=PROKLA. Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft |volume=17 |issue=67 |pp=35–54 |language=de |doi=10.32387/prokla.v17i67.1338|doi-access=free }}</ref> translated into English as "Ecological and Economic Modalities of Time and Space" and published in ''[[Capitalism Nature Socialism]]'' in 1990.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Altvater |first=Elmar |year=1989 |title=Ecological and economic modalities of time and space |journal=Capitalism Nature Socialism |volume=1 |issue=3 |pp=59–70 |doi=10.1080/10455758909358384}}</ref>

Time–space compression often occurs as a result of technological innovations driven by the global expansion of capital that condense or elide spatial and temporal distances, including [[communication technology|technologies of communication]] ([[telegraph]], [[telephone]]s, [[fax machine]]s, [[Internet]]), and [[travel]] (rail, cars, trains, jets), anddriven [[economics]]by (the need to overcome spatial barriers, open up new markets, speed up [[production cycle]]scycles, and reduce the turnover time of capital).

According to theorists like [[Paul Virilio]], time-space compression is an essential facet of contemporarycapitalist life:, "Todaysaying that "we are entering a space which is speed-space ... This new other time is that of electronic transmission, of high-tech machines, and therefore, man is present in this sort of time, not via his physical presence, but via programming" (qtd. in ''Decron'' 71<ref>Decron, Chris. ''Speed-Space.'' Virilio Live. Ed. John Armitage. London: Sage, 2001. 69–81.</ref>). In ''"VitesseSpeed etand Politique"Politics'', Virilio coinscoined the term '''dromology''' to describe the study of "speed-space.". Virilio describes velocity as the hidden sidefactor ofin wealth and power, which represents a determining factor concerning societies' structures.where Historicalhistorical eras and political events, out of this perspective, are alsoeffectively speed-ratios. In his view, acceleration destroys space and compresses the time in ways of perceiving reality.

Theorists generally identify two historical periods in which time–space compression occurred; the period from the mid-19th century to the beginnings of the [[First World War]], and the end of the 20th century. In both of these time periods, according to Jon May and Nigel Thrift, "there occurred a radical restructuring in the nature and experience of both time and space ... both periods saw a significant acceleration in the pace of life concomitant with a dissolution or collapse of traditional spatial co-ordinates".<ref>May, Jon and [[Nigel Thrift]]. "Introduction." ''TimeSpace: Geographies of Temporality''. NY: Routledge, 2001. pp.&nbsp;1–46.</ref>

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==Criticism==

[[Doreen Massey (geographer)|Doreen Massey]] critiqued the idea of time-space compression in her discussion of globalization and its effect on our society. She insisted that any ideas that our world is "speeding up" and "spreading out" should be placed within local social contexts. "Time-space compression", she argues, "needs differentiating socially": "the ways in whichhow people are placed within 'time-space compression' are complicated and extremely varied". In effect, Massey is critical of the notion of{{vague|date=September 2025|reason=Resents TSC, or the suggestion of its existence?}} "time-space compression" as it represents capital's attempts to erase the sense of the local and masks the dynamic social ways through which places remain "meeting places".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Massey|first1=Doreen |authorlink=Doreen Massey (geographer)|chapter=A Global Sense of Place|title=Space, Place, and Gender|date=1994 |isbn= 0816626162|publisher=[[the University of Minnesota Press]]}}</ref>

For [[Moishe Postone]],<ref>[[Postone, Moishe]]. "Theorizing the Contemporary World: Robert Brenner, Giovanni Arrighi, David Harvey" in ''Political Economy of the Present and Possible Global Future(s)'', Anthem Press, 2007.</ref> Harvey's treatment of space-time compression and postmodern diversity are merely reactions to [[capitalism]]. Hence Harvey's analysis remains "extrinsic to the [[social form]]s expressed" by the deep structure concepts of capital, value and the [[commodity]]. For Postone, the postmodern moment is not necessarily just a one-sided effect of the contemporary form of capitalism but can also be seen as having an emancipatory side if it happened to be part of post-capitalism. And because postmodernism usually neglects its own context of embeddedness it can legitimate capitalism as postmodern, whereas at the level of deep structure it may in fact be more concentrated, with large capitals that accumulate rather than diverge, and with an expansion of commodification niches with fewer buyers.

Postone asserts that one cannot step outside capitalism and declare it a pure evil, or as a one-dimensional badness. For Postone, since the [[Emancipation|emancipatory]] content of such things as equal distribution or diversity are potentials of capitalism itself in its abundant and diverse productive powers. This Itinitial perspective misfires however, when a formforms of lifesociety such as modernity and subsequently postmodernism takestake itself as the true whole of life for being theoppositional wholeto capitalism, when in fact itthey isare justgrounded anotherin appearancethe reproduction of the same capitalist essencerelations that created them.

For Postone the postmodern moment is not necessarily just a one-sided effect of the contemporary form of capitalism but can also be seen as having an emancipatory side if it happened to be part of a post-capitalism. And because postmodernism usually neglects its own context of embeddedness it can legitimate capitalism as postmodern, whereas at the level of deep structure it may in fact be more concentrated, with large capitals that, accumulate rather than diverge, and with an expansion of commodification niches with fewer buyers.

== See also ==

Postone asserts one cannot step outside capitalism and declare it a pure evil, or as a one-dimensional badness. For Postone, the [[Emancipation|emancipatory]] content of such things as equal distribution or diversity are potentials of capitalism itself in its abundant and diverse productive powers. It misfires however, when a form of life such as postmodernism takes itself for being the whole when in fact it is just another appearance of the same capitalist essence.

* [[Global village]]

* [[Late capitalism]]

* [[Late modernism]]

* [[Social production of space]]

* [[Space of flows]]

* {{annotated link|Social acceleration}}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

*{{cite book

|last=Giddens

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|chapter=Time-Space Distanciation and the Generation of Power}}

* [[Jeff Lewis (professor)|Jeff Lewis]] (2008), ''[https://au.sagepub.com/en-gb/oce/cultural-studies/book229164 Cultural Studies]'', Sage, London. {{ISBN|9781412922302}}.

* [Sophie Raine] (2022), ''[https://www.perlego.com/knowledge/study-guides/what-is-time-space-compression/ What is Time-Space Compression?]''

{{Globalization|state=autocollapse}}

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[[Category:Cultural geography]]

[[Category:Globalization]]

[[Category:Philosophy of space and time]]