English

Noun

presentism ‎(plural presentisms)

1. The belief that only current phenomena are relevant.
2. Interpreting past phenomena in terms of current beliefs and knowledge.

Quotations

• "Despite the breathless presentism of the current discourse, scholarly debate on the nature of community did not originate with the introduction of new computer technologies, but arose out of earlier concerns about the transition from agrarian to urban industrial societies." (Hampton and Wellman, 2000).
• "Many people lost their perspective in their euphoria and became parochial and presentist. In their presentism, they forgot that long distance ties had been flourishing for generations, using automobiles, telephones, airplanes, and even postal (snail) mail." (Wellman and Hogan, 2004).

Related terms

• presentist

References

• Keith Hampton and Barry Wellman. "Examining Community in the Digital Neighborhood: Early Results from Canada's Wired Suburb." Pp. 475-92 in Digital Cities: Technologies, Experiences and Future Perspectives, edited by Toru Ishida and Katherine Isbister. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2000.

• Barry Wellman and Bernie Hogan (2004). “The Immanent Internet.” Pp. 54-80 in Netting Citizens: Exploring Citizenship in a Digital Age, edited by Johnston McKay. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press.