Local Time of the Global IT: The Time Perception of Russian Software Developers at Home and Abroad

Abstract

The article examines the issue of time perception among Russian software developers. The research rests on biographical interviews conducted in Kazan, Vladivostok, London and two cities in Finland – Helsinki, and Espoo. The empirical data expounded in the article question the idea of accelerated time perception and universality of the “fast capitalism” concept that has been discussed in scholarly literature. The research illustrates the diversity of time perceptions and practices of time management among Russian IT‑specialists. These practices depend on the idea of “effective use of time”, specific to each sociocultural context.