ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates that classical sociologists, contemporary social theorists, and global analysts have debated and are currently debating the concept of speed in relation to neoliberalism from a diverse set of perspectives. It takes the positions that these debates open a space for the further theorization of speed, particularly in the areas of higher education in general and language education (TESOL), which have both been deeply affected by globalized neoliberal capitalism. In so doing, I juxtapose and evaluate three distinct analytical categories of speed, namely (i) “fast capitalism,” (ii) “critical theory of acceleration,” and (iii) “cultural analysis of speed” alongside other recent scholarly debates on speed, with the intention of establishing links and synergies between them.
