Absztrakt

The study of time and space as perceived in the United States may provide a valuable conceptual framework for the understanding of American thinking. The paper discusses the Puritan origins of time in America that left behind a legacy of “thrift, hard work, and moral earnestness“. The early American approach to time showed a remarkable combination of idealism and economics. The nineteenth century saw the turn of measuring time by the rhythm of the day and the season to determining it by the clock. A particularly American movement, the idea of time-management emerged in the early 20th century. Its founder and ideologue, Frederick W. Taylor made it into a philosophy of rationalizing production through the elimination of waste time which contributed to developing mass production techniques. The U. S. is a fast culture and its quickening pace is demonstrated by the daily use of time and performing music, and is highlighted by international comparisons. Based on American examples, the author points out how time gets translated into space, while geographical space turns into social space, which in turn defines interpersonal relations in the United States.