This article explores how queer temporalities - which are alternative ways of understanding time - can inform our understanding of life milestones and transitions. Specifically, it discusses how these non-linear forms of temporality can challenge traditional narratives about linear progress towards some future goal or endpoint. By considering different perspectives on time, we can learn more about the ethical, existential, and narrative significance of key moments in our lives.
Let's define what "queer" means. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word as "of uncertain nature or character; strange or unusual." In recent years, the term has also come to refer to people who identify themselves outside of socially accepted gender norms. When applied to temporality, "queer" suggests a non-linear approach to time that challenges dominant understandings of chronology. Queer temporalities have been used to explore various aspects of human experience, including memory, trauma, and identity formation. They can help us think differently about how we mark and commemorate important events in our lives.
Examples of Queer Temporalities
One example is the concept of liminality, which refers to states of being between two stages or categories. Liminal spaces are often associated with rituals such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and funerals, which are marked by rites of passage into new phases of life.
These rites can also be seen as transitional periods rather than definitive endpoints.
Consider a child who turns one year old and enters the second year of their life. Their first birthday may not be a clear line between infancy and adulthood, but rather an intermediate moment where they become increasingly aware of their own agency and selfhood. Similarly, when someone dies, it does not mean that they cease to exist - rather, they continue to live on through their legacy and memories. This understanding of liminality helps us reframe significant moments in our lives as ongoing processes rather than discrete points in time.
Another queer temporality is repetition compulsion, which involves repeating actions or behaviors without conscious awareness or intent.
Some people may find themselves repeatedly going back to certain places or reliving past experiences. Repetition compulsion has been linked to psychological disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but also occurs naturally in everyday life. It can be seen as a way of processing trauma or trying to make sense of difficult emotions. By acknowledging this phenomenon, we can recognize how our actions are shaped by unconscious forces beyond our control.
Implications for Life Milestones and Transitions
So what does all this have to do with milestones and transitions? Well, considering alternative ways of thinking about time can help us reframe key events in our lives. We often view important changes (such as getting married, having children, or retiring) as definitive endings or beginnings. But these changes can also be seen as part of longer-term processes, with multiple phases and interconnected elements. By recognizing this, we can focus more on the present moment rather than fixating on an idealized future goal.
Acknowledging that change is never fully completed or finished allows us to embrace uncertainty and openness to new possibilities.
Exploring queer temporalities can broaden our understanding of human experience and challenge traditional narratives about progress and linearity. By reframing life events as ongoing processes rather than fixed points in time, we can gain a deeper appreciation for their ethical, existential, and narrative significance.
What can queer temporalities teach about the ethical, existential, and narrative significance of life milestones and transitions?
Queer temporalities have been used by scholars as a way of challenging the dominant narratives that structure time. These narratives often privilege linearity, continuity, and teleology, which can make it difficult for individuals to recognize their own agency and identity outside of those structures. Queer temporality is instead characterized by discontinuity, nonlinearity, and multiplicity, allowing for more fluid and flexible interpretations of time and identity.