Rose – Abstract – Synchronizing Time for Social Connection and Civic Participation

Abstract: Contemporary life poses problems for finding free time that is shared with others. This temporal coordination problem poses risks of social exclusion, particularly for those who must work “nonstandard” hours. I argue that a society’s members must have access to sufficient periods of shared free time to have effective freedom of association. I consider some ways a society might address the temporal coordination problem, such as increasing time flexibility or preserving common periods of free time.