The Experience of Zulu (Military) Time: An Examination of the Temporal Practices and Perceptions of UK Infantry

Abstract

Organizational time remains an under-examined research area. This is particularly so in terms of analysis which combines workers temporal embodiment, temporal inter-embodiment, and collective temporal perceptions. These three social processes are portrayed using the case of the military organization and focus upon the temporal world of UK infantry via ethnographic data obtained from participant observation. Initially, the narrative examines the need for Zulu (military) time at the level of organizational structure. This is followed by a portrayal of how, within that structure, temporal embodiment and inter-embodiment are learnt and habituated, via practices such as parade ground and weapon training drills. Next, those same temporal processes are focused upon in the context of operational (combat) patrolling, and their manifestation within the practices of formations and tactics are examined. The narrative then moves on to examine collective temporal perceptions troops construct, which are focused upon issues of danger, safety, and identity. The account concludes with a call for organizational time both civilian and military to be given much more attention by sociological researchers particularly at the level of embodied practices.