Oral Presentation by Vincent-Frédéric Gascon¹
¹ Universidad Javerina, Colombia
TIME: Thursday, 16 July, 14:30 – 16:00
Location: Room 1
Session: 21
Abstract
Proposed for discussion at the 2nd Innsbruck Conference on Critical Applied Psychology at the University of Innsbruck, this presentation centres on the psycho‑economic cost of being taken by mobility—how continuous circulation in effervescent capitalism becomes a structuring life condition that shapes capacity, coordination, and constraint. The analysis is framed through the metaphor of a jet in perpetual lag and introduces Gest‑Lag as a critical concept for understanding the temporal out of phase, or mismatch between gesture and institutional recognition. It develops a conceptual framework emerging from doctoral research and a forthcoming article on the paradigm and paradox of mobility. The talk unfolds in four movements: (1) Framing the problem – conceptualizing mobility as both paradigm and paradox and foregrounding Gest‑Lag as a marker of psycho‑economic strain; (2) Western genealogies – tracing the mobilities turn, critical social theory, phenomenology and the governance of desynchronization; (3) Dialogue with Oriental process thought – exploring concepts such as shi, wu‑wei, ma and détour to emphasise rhythm, interval and non‑coercive coordination as alternative temporalities; and (4) Toward sustainability – considering how diplomatic and institutional spaces might recalibrate mobility toward durable, ethical forms of representation rather than chronic acceleration. Upon confirmation of the conference format and time constraints, the presentation would close with guided questions about being “taken by mobility,” reflexivity, ethnocentrism, and ethical governance. The aim is to stage a constructive conversation that bridges Western and Oriental perspectives to rethink mobility as a sustainable condition within contemporary capitalism.