Overview
I was a mature student at Cardiff University, where I was awarded a BScEcon (1983) and an ESRC funded PhD (1988) on the role of time in social theory. With a family settled in Cardiff, I was not mobile, so developed my entire academic career, from lecturer in social theory to a personal chair, at the same institution. My first book ‘Time and Social Theory’ (1990), which was based on my PhD research, was awarded the BSE’s Philip Abram’s Memorial Prize for best first book.
As social theorist, I have applied the focus on social time to the breadth of social science concerns, ranging from education, environmental matters and health to transport and work. My work shows how the relationship to time, in its multiple facets, impacts on societies, institutions and individuals. As such, social time has been the intellectual project throughout my academic career.
This research facilitated a unique perspective and produced path-breaking publications on the subject, resulting in five research monographs, five edited books and a large number of articles in which I sought to bring time to the centre of social and socio-environmental analysis. This work has been translated into numerous European and Asian languages and led to hundreds of invitations to present keynote addresses across Europe, the Americas and Australia. Two of my books have been awarded book prizes and I successfully competed for numerous social theory-based research grants. During the early 1990s, I was encouraged to found the transdisciplinary journal Time & Society (1992-), which I edited for the first ten years and have handed to several successor editors since.
In almost every piece of my work on time, the future featured as the unresolved part of this temporal perspective. An award of the prestigious ESRC Professorial Fellowship, entitled In Pursuit of the Future (2003–2007), enabled me to tackle this difficult subject matter head-on. On the basis of this expanded perspective, I have held Fellowships in Italy, Germany and UK, as well as a one-year Max Weber Professorship at Munich University.
As part of this conceptual work on the social future, I connected with colleagues across Cardiff University and began, in 2005, to collaborate with Postgraduate students from Cardiff Art College. Working with artists was to help overcome the shortcomings of rationalist and scientific ways of engaging with the intangible future, as art had for centuries successfully handled the realm beyond the senses.
These transdisciplinary collaborations led, in 2012, to the formation of the Future Matters Collective, a small group of people from across the sciences and the arts, who shared this concern and passion. At regular group meetings, we brought our diverse knowledge practices to particular subjects, always with unpredictable results that transcended our individual practices and modes of knowing.
My twenty years of fruitful collaboration with diverse art practitioners, have resulted in a more extensive collaboration with Seth Oliver, which led to the creation of a book based on my poetic distilled theory work and Seth Oliver’s drawings. This book is entitled Drawing Futures. An alchemy of words and images and is being published in 2025 by the Welsh company Graffeg.
Publication
2024
- Adam, B. 2024. Tempering the not-yet: Towards a social theory for the Anthropocene. European Journal of Social Theory 27(2), pp. 191-208. (10.1177/13684310231221251)
2022
- Adam, B. 2022. Thirty years of Time & Society: The challenges for time studies revisited. Time & Society 31(1), pp. 6-9. (10.1177/0961463X211073004)
2019
- Adam, B. and Kemp, S. 2019. Time matters: Faces, externalized knowledge and transcendence. In: Souvatzi, S., Baysal, A. and Baysal, E. L. eds. Time and History in Prehistory. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 210-229.
2018
- Adam, B. 2018. Four meditations on time and future relations. Time & Society 27(3), pp. 384-388. (10.1177/0961463X18789222)
- Adam, B. 2018. Timing. In: Lury, C. et al. eds. Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods. Routledge, pp. 132.
2014
- Adam, B. E. et al. 2014. Promise through the lens of time. Presented at: Futures in Question, Goldsmiths, University of London, 11-12 September 2014.
- Adam, B. E. 2014. Future matters for ageing research. Presented at: Imagining the Future Workshop, London, England, 11 February 2010 Presented at Bornaj, J. and Jones, R. L. eds.Imagining Futures : Methodological Issues for Research into Ageing. The Representation of Older People in Ageing Research Series Vol. 13. Milton Keynes: Open University/CPA pp. 11-25.
2013
- Adam, B. E. 2013. Clock time: tyrannies and alternatives. In: Coote, A. and Franklin, J. eds. Time On Our Side: Why We All Need a Shorter Working Week. London: New Economics Foundation, pp. 31-41.
2011
- Adam, B. E. 2011. Wendell Bell and the sociology of the future: challenges past, present and future. Futures 43(6), pp. 590-595. (10.1016/j.futures.2011.04.007)
- Adam, B. E. and Groves, C. R. 2011. Futures tended: care and future-oriented responsibility. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 31(1), pp. 17-27. (10.1177/0270467610391237)
2010
- Adam, B. E. 2010. History of the future: Paradoxes and challenges. Rethinking History 14(3), pp. 361-378. (10.1080/13642529.2010.482790)
- Adam, B. E. 2010. Future Matters: Challenge for social theory and social inquiry. Cultura e comunicazione 1, pp. 47-55.
- Adam, B. E. 2010. Zeitvielfalt in der Evolution aus gesellschaftstheoretischer Sicht. Presented at: Akademievorlesung: Zeit - Schlüsselvariable der Evolution, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, Germany, 4 February 2010.
2009
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Futures in the making: sociological practice and challenge. In: Jeffries, V. ed. Handbook of public sociology. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 429-474.
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Cultural future matters: an exploration in the spirit of Max Weber's methodological writings. Time & Society 18(1), pp. 7-25. (10.1177/0961463X08099941)
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Zeit ist Geld: Geschwindigkeit aus zeitökonomischer und zeitökologischer Sicht. Presented at: Jenseits der Beschleunigung - Zeitpolitische Perspektiven postfossiler Mobilität, Evangelische Akademie, Tutzing, Germany, 30 April - 2 May 2009.
2008
- Adam, B. E. 2008. Future matters: futures known, created and minded. Twenty-First Century Society 3(2), pp. 111-116. (10.1080/17450140802095102)
- Adam, B. E. 2008. The timescapes challenge: engagement with the invisible temporal. In: Adam, B. E. et al. eds. Researching Lives Through Time: Time, Generation and Life Stories. Timescapes Working Paper Series Vol. 1. Leeds: University of Leeds, pp. 7-12.
2007
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Mobilität / Verkehr. In: Heitkötter, M. and Schneider, M. eds. Zeitpolitisches Glossar: Grundbegriffe, Felder, Instrumente, Strategien. Tutzinger Materialien Vol. 90. Tutzing: Evangelische Akademie, pp. 51-53.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Time control (kontrolle der zeit). In: Heitkötter, M. and Schneider, M. eds. Zeitpolitisches Glossar: Grundbegriffe, Felder, Instrumente, Strategien. Tutzinger Materialien Vol. 90. Tutzing: Evangelische Akademie, pp. 66-68.
- Adam, B. E. and Groves, C. R. 2007. Future matters: action, knowledge, ethics. The Study of Time / Supplements Vol. 3. Leiden: Brill.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. The global future. In: Robertson, R. and Scholte, J. A. eds. Encyclopedia of Globalization., Vol. 2. London: Routledge, pp. 304-312.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Foreword. In: Hassan, R. and Purser, R. E. eds. 24/7: Time and Temporality in the Network Society. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, pp. ix-xi.
2004
- Adam, B. 2004. A social theory exploration of responsibility for long term futures. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
- Adam, B. 2004. Of metaphors, morals and memories: reflections on socio-environmental action from a temporal perspective. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
- Adam, B. 2004. Memory of Futures. KronoScope 4(2) (10.1163/1568524042801392)
- Harris, P., Lewis, J. T. and Adam, B. E. 2004. Time, sustainable transport and the politics of speed. World Transport Policy and Practice 10(2), pp. 5-11.
- Adam, B. E. 2004. Time. Polity Key Concepts Series. Cambridge: Polity Press.
2003
- Adam, B. E. 2003. When Time is Money: Contested Rationalities of Time in the Theory and Practice of Work. Theoria 102, pp. 94-125.
2002
- Whipp, R., Adam, B. and Sabelis, I. eds. 2002. Making time: Time and management in modern organizations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Adam, B. E. 2002. The gendered time politics of globalisation: Of shadowlands and elusive justice. Feminist Review 70(1), pp. 3-29. (10.1057/palgrave/fr/9400001)
2001
- Adam, B. 2001. When time is money: Contested rationalities of time and challenges to the theory and practice of work.. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
2000
- Adam, B., Beck, U. and Van Loon, J. eds. 2000. The risk society and beyond.. London: Sage. (10.4135/9781446219539)
- Adam, B. 2000. The temporal gaze: the challenge for social theory in the context of GM food. The British Journal of Sociology 51(1), pp. 125-142. (10.1111/j.1468-4446.2000.00125.x)
- Adam, B. E., Allan, S. and Carter, C. eds. 2000. Environmental risks and the media. London: Routledge.
1998
- Adam, B., Geissler, K. A. and Held, M. eds. 1998. Die Nonstop-Gesellschaft und ihr Preis. Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag.
- Adam, B. E. 1998. Timescapes of modernity: the environment and invisible hazards. London: Routledge.
1995
- Adam, B. and Allan, S. eds. 1995. Theorising culture: An interdisciplinary critique after postmodernism. London: Routledge. (10.4324/9780203137017)
- Adam, B. E. 1995. Timewatch: social analysis of time. Cambridge: Polity Press.
1994
- Adam, B. E. 1994. Time and social theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Articles
- Adam, B. 2024. Tempering the not-yet: Towards a social theory for the Anthropocene. European Journal of Social Theory 27(2), pp. 191-208. (10.1177/13684310231221251)
- Adam, B. 2022. Thirty years of Time & Society: The challenges for time studies revisited. Time & Society 31(1), pp. 6-9. (10.1177/0961463X211073004)
- Adam, B. 2018. Four meditations on time and future relations. Time & Society 27(3), pp. 384-388. (10.1177/0961463X18789222)
- Adam, B. E. 2011. Wendell Bell and the sociology of the future: challenges past, present and future. Futures 43(6), pp. 590-595. (10.1016/j.futures.2011.04.007)
- Adam, B. E. and Groves, C. R. 2011. Futures tended: care and future-oriented responsibility. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 31(1), pp. 17-27. (10.1177/0270467610391237)
- Adam, B. E. 2010. History of the future: Paradoxes and challenges. Rethinking History 14(3), pp. 361-378. (10.1080/13642529.2010.482790)
- Adam, B. E. 2010. Future Matters: Challenge for social theory and social inquiry. Cultura e comunicazione 1, pp. 47-55.
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Cultural future matters: an exploration in the spirit of Max Weber's methodological writings. Time & Society 18(1), pp. 7-25. (10.1177/0961463X08099941)
- Adam, B. E. 2008. Future matters: futures known, created and minded. Twenty-First Century Society 3(2), pp. 111-116. (10.1080/17450140802095102)
- Adam, B. 2004. Memory of Futures. KronoScope 4(2) (10.1163/1568524042801392)
- Harris, P., Lewis, J. T. and Adam, B. E. 2004. Time, sustainable transport and the politics of speed. World Transport Policy and Practice 10(2), pp. 5-11.
- Adam, B. E. 2003. When Time is Money: Contested Rationalities of Time in the Theory and Practice of Work. Theoria 102, pp. 94-125.
- Adam, B. E. 2002. The gendered time politics of globalisation: Of shadowlands and elusive justice. Feminist Review 70(1), pp. 3-29. (10.1057/palgrave/fr/9400001)
- Adam, B. 2000. The temporal gaze: the challenge for social theory in the context of GM food. The British Journal of Sociology 51(1), pp. 125-142. (10.1111/j.1468-4446.2000.00125.x)
Book sections
- Adam, B. and Kemp, S. 2019. Time matters: Faces, externalized knowledge and transcendence. In: Souvatzi, S., Baysal, A. and Baysal, E. L. eds. Time and History in Prehistory. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 210-229.
- Adam, B. 2018. Timing. In: Lury, C. et al. eds. Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods. Routledge, pp. 132.
- Adam, B. E. 2013. Clock time: tyrannies and alternatives. In: Coote, A. and Franklin, J. eds. Time On Our Side: Why We All Need a Shorter Working Week. London: New Economics Foundation, pp. 31-41.
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Futures in the making: sociological practice and challenge. In: Jeffries, V. ed. Handbook of public sociology. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 429-474.
- Adam, B. E. 2008. The timescapes challenge: engagement with the invisible temporal. In: Adam, B. E. et al. eds. Researching Lives Through Time: Time, Generation and Life Stories. Timescapes Working Paper Series Vol. 1. Leeds: University of Leeds, pp. 7-12.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Mobilität / Verkehr. In: Heitkötter, M. and Schneider, M. eds. Zeitpolitisches Glossar: Grundbegriffe, Felder, Instrumente, Strategien. Tutzinger Materialien Vol. 90. Tutzing: Evangelische Akademie, pp. 51-53.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Time control (kontrolle der zeit). In: Heitkötter, M. and Schneider, M. eds. Zeitpolitisches Glossar: Grundbegriffe, Felder, Instrumente, Strategien. Tutzinger Materialien Vol. 90. Tutzing: Evangelische Akademie, pp. 66-68.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. The global future. In: Robertson, R. and Scholte, J. A. eds. Encyclopedia of Globalization., Vol. 2. London: Routledge, pp. 304-312.
- Adam, B. E. 2007. Foreword. In: Hassan, R. and Purser, R. E. eds. 24/7: Time and Temporality in the Network Society. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, pp. ix-xi.
Books
- Adam, B. E. and Groves, C. R. 2007. Future matters: action, knowledge, ethics. The Study of Time / Supplements Vol. 3. Leiden: Brill.
- Adam, B. E. 2004. Time. Polity Key Concepts Series. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Whipp, R., Adam, B. and Sabelis, I. eds. 2002. Making time: Time and management in modern organizations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Adam, B., Beck, U. and Van Loon, J. eds. 2000. The risk society and beyond.. London: Sage. (10.4135/9781446219539)
- Adam, B. E., Allan, S. and Carter, C. eds. 2000. Environmental risks and the media. London: Routledge.
- Adam, B., Geissler, K. A. and Held, M. eds. 1998. Die Nonstop-Gesellschaft und ihr Preis. Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag.
- Adam, B. E. 1998. Timescapes of modernity: the environment and invisible hazards. London: Routledge.
- Adam, B. and Allan, S. eds. 1995. Theorising culture: An interdisciplinary critique after postmodernism. London: Routledge. (10.4324/9780203137017)
- Adam, B. E. 1995. Timewatch: social analysis of time. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Adam, B. E. 1994. Time and social theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Conferences
- Adam, B. E. et al. 2014. Promise through the lens of time. Presented at: Futures in Question, Goldsmiths, University of London, 11-12 September 2014.
- Adam, B. E. 2014. Future matters for ageing research. Presented at: Imagining the Future Workshop, London, England, 11 February 2010 Presented at Bornaj, J. and Jones, R. L. eds.Imagining Futures : Methodological Issues for Research into Ageing. The Representation of Older People in Ageing Research Series Vol. 13. Milton Keynes: Open University/CPA pp. 11-25.
- Adam, B. E. 2010. Zeitvielfalt in der Evolution aus gesellschaftstheoretischer Sicht. Presented at: Akademievorlesung: Zeit - Schlüsselvariable der Evolution, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, Germany, 4 February 2010.
- Adam, B. E. 2009. Zeit ist Geld: Geschwindigkeit aus zeitökonomischer und zeitökologischer Sicht. Presented at: Jenseits der Beschleunigung - Zeitpolitische Perspektiven postfossiler Mobilität, Evangelische Akademie, Tutzing, Germany, 30 April - 2 May 2009.
Monographs
- Adam, B. 2004. A social theory exploration of responsibility for long term futures. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
- Adam, B. 2004. Of metaphors, morals and memories: reflections on socio-environmental action from a temporal perspective. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
- Adam, B. 2001. When time is money: Contested rationalities of time and challenges to the theory and practice of work.. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
Research
Funded Research
2003-7 ESRC Professorial Fellowship (RES-051-27-0049), In Pursuit of the Future
2001-3 EU 5th Framework Foresight for Transport (GMA2/2000/32057), 5 partners, B. Adam time expertise.
1999 ESRC Pilot Project Bridging Time Theory and Practice: Exploring Time Politics for the Food System.
1994-6 ESRC Fellowship - Global Environmental Change Initiative (L32027312593) - Mapping the Environment: Temporal and Spatial Problems for the Social Sciences.
1996-9 EEC-funded Project – 4th Framework (ST96 AM601) Policy Assessment of Trans-European Networks & Common Transport Policy TENASSES (11 partners) B. Adam, time consultancy.
International Research Collaborations (Funded):
1993-2015 Ökologie der Zeit, Evangelische Akademie Tutzing. German based interdisciplinary project on the time dimension of environmental matters. A high-profile ‘Third Mission’ project. 25 conferences, 10 workshops and 11 publications. Funding from a variety of sources, including Schweisfurth Stiftung, Munich and Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Bonn.
1996-2007 CAMULA (CArdiff, MUnich, LAncaster) – A loose research net that was built around key social theorists Adam, Beck, Urry and Wynne to debate the socio-environmental theme of ‘Reflexive Modernisation’. Funding from Anglo-German Foundation and Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft.
1997-9 Ökonomie der Reproduktion und öko-soziale Zeitpolitik - A German environmental think-tank with collaborating partners from the natural and social sciences. Funding from a number of sources including Schweisfurt Stiftung, Munich
1997-9 Oxford Risk and Environment Group – Network of key risk researchers from the USA and Europe that communicate regularly by e-mail. Funding from a number of European and US sources.
2002-8 With Dr Robert Hassan, Swinbourne University Melbourne on new perceptions and relations of time in the network society, with research visits by Dr Hassan during 2003 and 2005, funded by the Australian Research Council.
Teaching
From 1988 – 2011 I have taught at Cardiff University across all academic levels, including PhD supervision.
1999 – 2000 I have taught Sociology to Undergraduate Students at Ludwig Maximilians University, Munch, DE.
Biography
· Emerita Professor, Cardiff University
· Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
· Fellow of UK Academy of Social Sciences
· Distinguished Schumacher Fellow, Bristol, UK
· Senior Fellow (2018 – 1990) at IASS, Potsdam, DE
· Max Weber Professorin (1999 – 2000), LMU, Munich
· ESRC Professorial Fellow (2003-7), In Pursuit of the Future
· Award-winning author: 5 monographs, 5 edited books, 150 articles
· Internationally renowned scholar in the study of social time and futures
· Founder Editor (1992 – 98) of Time & Society, Consulting Editor (1999 →)
· Keynote speaker across disciplines in Europe and America (both North & South)
· Research interests: time & futures, environment, globalisation, science & technology
Higher Education
2007 DScEcon, Cardiff University
1988 PhD, ESRC Pool Award, University of Wales, Cardiff
1983 BScEcon, First Class Honours, Sociology, University of Wales College of Cardiff
Honours and awards
2011- Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
2009- Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences
1995 Book Prize: J T Fraser Prize awarded by the International Society for the Study of Time for `A Book of Excellence in Time Studies’ for my monograph Timewatch. The Social Analysis of Time.
1990 Book Prize: Philip Abrams Memorial Prize awarded by the British Sociological Association for `Best First Book’ for my monograph (1990) Time and Social Theory
Academic positions
2011- Emerita Professor, Cardiff University
1999-2011 Professor of Sociology, (Personal Chair) SOCSI, Cardiff University of Wales
1999-2000 Max Weber Professorin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München
1996-1999 Reader, Social Theory, SOCSI, Cardiff University of Wales
1995-1996 Senior Lecturer, SOCAS, Cardiff University of Wales
1988-1995 Lecturer, Social Theory, SOCAS, Cardiff University of Wales
1988-1989 Tutor and Counsellor, Open University: M.A. in Education
Speaking engagements
1990 - Keynote, Plenaries and Invited Addresses:
More than 150 Presentations across 15 European Countries, as well as Australia and the Americas (North and South).
1987-2010 Presentations at International Refereed Conferences:
In Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland and USA.
Additional presentations at the co-organised International conferences listed above.
1990- Staff Seminars:
In France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA.
1986- Multiple Presentations in academic institutions in UK, Germany and Italy:
10 Annual International Conferences of the Association of the Social Study of Time (ASSET), Dartington, UK
16 conferences on Time Ecology at Evangelische Akademie, Tutzing, DE.
6 International Conferences, Colloquia and Workshops on Time and Futures at Cardiff University, UK
3 International Conferences on Time & Management at ISIDA, University of Palermo, IT
2 International Colloquia and 3 Workshops at IASS, Potsdam, DE