What is time? How do different people experience time? What are some common ways to understand and organize time? Is there something more to time than just passing from one moment to the next? These questions have been asked throughout history, leading to various theories about the nature of time itself. Some philosophers have suggested that time is an illusion created by human consciousness, while others believe it is a fundamental aspect of reality. Temporality has also been studied within queer theory as a way to challenge traditional notions of linear progression and binary categories. In this essay, I will explore how queer temporalities can provide frameworks for ethical engagement with past, present, and future beyond linear progression.
Queer Theory and Temporality
Temporality refers to the study of time as a social construct. According to queer theorist Judith Butler, "time becomes part of the structuring of relations among subjects" insofar as it "designates certain kinds of temporal sequences and patterns." In other words, time is not simply a measure of duration between events but is itself a socially constructed phenomenon. Queer temporality challenges dominant notions of chronological progress, which often privilege heterosexuality, cisgenderism, and white supremacy.
In a patriarchal society, gender roles are usually associated with specific stages of life (e.g., women are supposed to be caretakers during child-rearing years) and sexual orientation may change over time (e.g., men becoming more masculine or feminine as they age). This means that time is seen as moving forward from past to present to future, where each stage represents a different state of being. Queer theorists instead suggest that time is nonlinear, cyclical, or even simultaneous - meaning that multiple temporalities can exist at once.
Criticisms of Linear Progression
Linear progression assumes that time moves from one point to another according to an established sequence. It is often used to justify oppressive structures like colonialism, racism, ableism, and sexism.
A colonizer might argue that their nation's history is progressing towards greater freedoms and democracy while simultaneously oppressing indigenous peoples. Similarly, the concept of evolution suggests that humans have moved from lower forms of life to higher ones through natural selection. These ideas assume that some things (like nations or species) are inherently better than others based on their place in history.
Such views ignore the experiences of those who do not fit into these categories (such as people of color or disabled individuals) and perpetuate social hierarchies. Queer theory offers a way out of this linear thinking by challenging traditional timelines and offering alternative ways of engaging with time.
Queer Temporality as Ethical Engagement
In her book "Gender Trouble," Judith Butler argues for the importance of queering gender roles rather than simply accepting them as givens. She writes, "If we accept the heteronormative view of gender, then there is no other possibility but to move within its confines." This statement highlights how certain societal norms limit our ability to think outside the box. By rejecting these limits, queer temporality provides new frameworks for understanding past, present, and future. Rather than seeing time as moving forward along a predetermined pathway, it encourages us to question existing power structures and imagine different possibilities.
If we rethink linear progression as cyclical or simultaneous, we can challenge assumptions about sexual orientation over one's lifetime and recognize multiple identities at once.
Nonlinearity allows for more fluidity between stages of life - instead of being locked into particular roles based on age or experience.
Queer temporalities can help create space for marginalized voices to be heard without being erased by dominant narratives.
Time is a complex concept that has been studied across many disciplines. Queer theory challenges dominant notions of chronological progress by emphasizing nonlinearity, cyclicity, and multiplicity in time. Instead of seeing time as moving forward from past to present to future, it suggests that various temporalities can exist simultaneously. This allows for new ways of engaging with history beyond patriarchal structures and binary categories. By embracing queer temporality, we can create spaces for ethical engagement with past, present, and future beyond linear progression.
Can queer temporalities provide frameworks for ethical engagement with past, present, and future beyond linear progression?
Queer temporalities can offer a framework for critical and creative engagements with the past, present, and future that challenge linear progressions of time. These temporalities do not prioritize stability and continuity but instead emphasize fluidity, multiplicity, and disruption. Queer temporalities are often seen as resisting dominant narratives of progress that assume certain forms of developmental trajectories and timelines.