In contemporary Western societies, time is often viewed as linear and progressive – people expect things to get better over time. This assumption is deeply embedded in our culture and politics. It assumes that past mistakes can be corrected through learning from them, and that new technologies and inventions will bring improvements to human life.
Some scholars argue that this view of time ignores certain aspects of reality, such as the ways in which power structures influence how history unfolds. Queer temporality challenges this assumption by suggesting that there are multiple temporalities at play, each with its own unique understanding of what progress means.
Queer temporality is based on the idea that there is no single, unified notion of time, but rather a plurality of temporalities shaped by historical contexts. According to this perspective, different groups have experienced time differently throughout history, depending on their social position, cultural background, and political affiliations.
Women's experiences of time may differ significantly from men's due to patriarchal power dynamics, while Indigenous communities may see time as cyclical rather than linear.
Feminist scholar Sara Ahmed has written extensively about queer temporality and its implications for moral assumptions about progress. She argues that traditional understandings of progress rely on narratives of improvement and development, whereby one period moves forward towards another in a linear fashion. This view privileges certain forms of knowledge and excludes others, leading to a hierarchy between different ways of knowing. The result is that those who do not fit into this dominant discourse (such as queer and trans people) are marginalized and rendered invisible.
Ahmed suggests that we should embrace a pluralistic approach to time, recognizing that different groups can experience it differently. This allows us to question our assumptions about what progress entails and opens up new possibilities for collective action. It also highlights the importance of listening to minority voices, rather than imposing a top-down model of change. As Ahmed writes: "If we want to challenge existing hierarchies, we need to recognize how some knowledges and experiences are privileged over others."
Queer temporality challenges conventional ideas about progress as inherently good. By acknowledging the diversity of temporalities at play, it offers an alternative perspective on history and politics that values multiple forms of knowledge and experience. It asks us to rethink our assumptions about the direction of time and to consider how they might be shaped by power structures. In doing so, it pushes us to imagine a more equitable future, where all voices are heard and valued equally.
How does queer temporality challenge moral assumptions about progress as inherently good?
Queer temporality is an approach that questions the linear progression of time as it relates to morals. In other words, it challenges the idea that time always moves forward in a direction of improvement or "progress. " Instead, this theory argues that there are many different ways of understanding and experiencing time, and they can all be valid. This means that just because something seems more advanced or improved than another thing does not necessarily make it better morally speaking.