Rethinking waiting

Abstract

This article critically analyses the conventional conception of waiting processes, understood exclusively as temporality, examining their limitations in capturing the complexity of waiting as a broader social phenomenon. Drawing on the philosophical paradigm of Discontinuist Materialism, it argues that waiting time must be understood as more than a singular, ontologically negative, and necessarily detrimental phenomenon. The text underlines the intricate relations between waiting time and other aspects of social life, suggesting the need to broaden the perspectives of analysis hitherto employed. It reveals the need for a new analytical framework incorporating social, cultural, and historical factors when examining waiting processes. This article aims to take another step towards reconfiguring the temporal dimension of waiting, paving the way for constructing a more nuanced approach to this multifaceted phenomenon.