Temporal Connectivities: A scoping study of the available research on time and community

Despite the complicated and wide-ranging role of temporality in some of the most pressing questions about social mechanisms of connectivity and belonging, the research on ‘time’ and ‘community’ has remained fragmented and underdeveloped. The aim of this study, then, is to gain a better sense of what research is currently available and to identify cross-cutting and emerging themes, as well as any significant gaps. This study utilised desk-based research and a collaborative workshop to produce a rapid ‘mapping’, or overview, of an extensive range of relevant research. 885 references were included in the study, with 85 proving to be highly relevant. Eleven key analytical links between time and community were inferred from this sample. With the inclusion of a broader selection of references, a number of cross-cutting concerns emerging, including the role of time in social inclusion and exclusion, in the possibilities of social change and in the legitimation and evaluation of social action. The outcomes of the study include an annotated bibliographic resource, with references coded according to six key criteria, further resources produced at the collaborative workshop (available from the project website) and an article length write-up of the study.