Time extractivism and chronopolitics: Toward a theory of temporal appropriation

The article develops a critical theory that links time extractivism and chronopolitics as interrelated structures of temporal appropriation under contemporary capitalism. It argues that the appropriation of time— traditionally tied to labor and now extended to life and attention—must be understood as both a material practice and an ideological administrative framework. Time extractivism captures the embodied and disciplinary dimensions of temporal exploitation, while chronopolitics refers to its systemic regulation. By articulating these concepts together, the article proposes a materialist and biopolitical lens to analyze how capitalist regimes extract and govern temporality through quantified, digital, and affective mechanisms.