Time, Welfare and Society

Time, Welfare and Society presents a bold reimagining of social policy by placing time, rather than money, markets or behaviour, at the centre of welfare analysis. Challenging the dominance of clock‑time, productivity and short‑termism, Lee Gregory reveals how welfare systems shape, and are shaped by, the multiple temporalities through which people live. Gregory demonstrates how neoliberalism and the current polycrisis intensify temporal inequalities and narrow the horizons of welfare, obscuring diverse lived experiences necessary for flourishing. Using time theory, concepts of alterity, equality and citizenship, and policy design, he proposes new conceptual tools, such as time sovereignty and temporal impact assessment, to rethink welfare for a world of uncertainty and urgent social need. The book argues that modern welfare systems ignore the lived rhythms of care, waiting, ageing, uncertainty and generational futures, and instead are built around speed and short‑term politics. It outlines and argues for imaginative, rigorous and future‑oriented welfare systems that create time for dignity, autonomy, care and collective well-being in uncertain times. Time, Welfare and Society is an essential resource for scholars and students of sociology, social work and social policy. Social workers and policymakers will likewise benefit from its radical lens.