The time of recognition: a time-critical theory of social misrecognition in welfare societies

This paper analyzes recognition as a temporal phenomenon. It seeks to better understand how the temporality of recognition-that is, when it is demanded, received, and given, and for how long-is structured in modern societies, and what the consequences are when these temporal structures erode or collapse. To this end, the paper focuses on two social processes: poverty and the precarization of work. It argues that both are better understood through the lens of the temporal dimension of recognition-or more precisely, the temporal dimension of non-recognition and misrecognition. This perspective reveals that poverty and precarization are temporally extended forms of non-recognition. It becomes clear that the timing of these experiences within a person's life course, their duration, and the temporal regimes established by welfare states all play a crucial role. These regimes often exclude and disadvantage those affected, reinforcing their marginalization over time.