Beyond capitalist time: Queer ageing and queer time

Time, as one of the main means of organising everyday life, is disciplined for the benefit of capital. The contemporary time regime organised around capitalist values functions as an oppressive disciplinary device. The system that organises elements such as timing, pace and tempo produces temporal norms. In this context, ideas about the right and wrong time for things and social expectations about the life course also emerge. Those who do not serve the interests of capital, those who are deemed unsuccessful in the capitalist sense, are pushed to a worthless position. The older adults can be included among these. In neoliberal capitalist times where values such as productivity, individualism and competitiveness are encouraged, it is thought that the older adults do not produce any value and do not contribute to the continuity of the system. The older adult population is considered as an economic burden to the society. They are expected to invest in themselves, increase their value by aging successfully, and display the performance deemed appropriate for them. This study aims to analyse the contemporary experience of old age in the context of capitalist time and to present an alternative imaginary. This alternative imaginary is constructed by drawing on queer theory and practice. In this thesis, a queer existence is emphasised against the pressures of success and productivity. Beyond the narratives and expectations that shape old age, a conceptual discussion has been conducted on the possibility of a life built on queer values. Keywords Ageing, old age, queer theory, queer time, capitalism, capitalist time