The Senses of Velocity and Acceleration in Routine Worklife

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to understand the senses that people give to the machines used in their daily work with special emphasis on new technoiogies. The present essay is based on the constructionist methodological theoretical referential, which considers knowledge - the product ofinteractions between people - as the analysis object and tries to understand the senses that are constructed by people through the discursive practices of daily life.

This work is focused on the connection that people establish with technologies - especially, the computer - at work. Since the computer is a machine that allows velocity at work, our interest also turns to the meanings that people attribute to rhythm, to the velocity and to the acceleration resulting from the use ofmachines in daiiy professional activities. In this way, more specifically, this essay tries to interpret the senses that people attribute to the velocity and to the acceleration of daily life, from the connections that they establish with new technologies.