The Asymmetric Temporal Rhythms of Anti-Consumption

Abstract

This research draws upon qualitative data to empirically examine a theorisation of the temporal dimensions of social practices, and how anti-consumption destabilises and is destabilised by five dimensions: duration, tempo, sequence, synchronisation and periodicity. Our analytical themes highlight the emergence of what we term dissonant intervals, that is, temporal glitches that manifest in these temporal dimensions of social practices that are unsettled by anti-consumption. Where the social coordination of temporalities becomes challenging or even impossible due to the accrual of these dissonant intervals, this generates a micro-level asymmetric (i.e. uneven, unsettled) socio-temporal rhythm in daily life. We contribute the novel concepts of dissonant interval and asymmetric socio-temporal rhythm to sociological research on the temporalities of social practices. The significance of these concepts lies in their expansion of existing temporality vocabularies and imaginaries, their generative potential for future research and their implications for the promotion of environmentally sustainable practices.