Taking one day at a time: temporal experiences in the context of unexpected life course transitions

Shirani, Fiona Jane and Henwood, Karen Linda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4631-5468 2011. Taking one day at a time: temporal experiences in the context of unexpected life course transitions. Time & Society 20 (1) , pp. 49-68. 10.1177/0961463X10374906

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Abstract

This article explores how unexpected life course events can potentially be experienced as problematic by challenging anticipated future trajectories. Using data from a qualitative longitudinal study of men interviewed about fatherhood, we consider four unanticipated events in the context of family formation which are variously experienced as propelling men forwards, imposing a pause, or regressing to a previous life course phase. In these situations time represents a threat to personal identity, challenging imagined futures and leading to altered behaviour in the present. These unexpected events appear to have a long-term impact on temporal awareness. By highlighting understandings of the future as a fundamental aspect of experience, we illustrate the importance of making time explicit as a tool for elucidating life course transitions.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	fatherhood; future; life course; time; unexpected transition
Publisher:	Sage
ISSN:	0961-463X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	08 May 2023 05:06
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/25457

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