Time and space are two of the most basic dimensions of human life. They
envelop all human beings from birth to death. As such, they provide the
context for human existence. At the same time, however, time and space
also serve as major influencing factors in mankind's actions. Hence, a
vast literature has developed on time and space as separate dimensions,
and recently on time-space as joint dimensions. Interestingly enough,
the social connotations of time and space have mostly been studied with
the individual human being in mind. The more societal significance of
time and space, whether separately or jointly, have been relatively
neglected. It is the purpose of this volume to help fill this lacuna
through discussions on some of the many junctions of time, space, and
society at large. The discussion will naturally involve concepts and
findings from more than just one discipline -- notably, geography,
sociology, social history and political science. It is, thus, obvious
that the topic may be highlighted from several perspectives. Given my
own education and work, the approach will lean more to the geographical
perspective. Geography has a special merit as an integrating framework
for the study of time, space, and society. It is a discipline that has
space at the center of its raison d'etre and, as such, has always
striven for integration, holism and comprehensiveness.