| Years active | 1986–present |
|---|---|
| Country | Global |
| Major figures | Carlo Petrini,Geir Berthelsen,Carl Honoré |
| Influences | Slow Food |
| Influenced | Cittaslow, slow education, slow fashion, slow travel |
Theslow movement is a cultural initiative that advocates for a reduction in the pace of modern life, encouraging individuals to embrace a more thoughtful and deliberate approach to their daily activities.
It was an offshoot of theslow food movement, which began in 1986 as a protest led byCarlo Petrini against the opening of aMcDonald's restaurant inRome'sPiazza di Spagna.
The key ideas of the slow movement include prioritizing quality over quantity, savoring the present moment, and fostering connections with people and the environment. It encourages a more intentional approach to daily activities, promoting sustainable practices and mindfulness. The movement spans various domains such as food, cities, education, fashion, and more, advocating for a balanced and holistic lifestyle that resists the fast-paced demands of modern society.
Initiatives linked to this movement include theCittaslow organization to promote slowness in cities, most notably Rome,Naples, andParis.[1]Car-free days and banningVespas to reduce urban noise are a few initiatives.[1]
The slow movement is acultural movement which advocates slowing down the pace of human life. It emerged from theslow food movement, andCarlo Petrini's 1986 protest against the opening of aMcDonald's restaurant in thePiazza di Spagna,Rome.[2][3]
Geir Berthelsen'sThe World Institute of Slowness[4] presented a vision in 1999 for a "slow planet".
InCarl Honoré's 2004 book,In Praise of Slow, he describes the slow movement as:
"a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail's pace. It's about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It's about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting."[5]
Norwegian professorGuttorm Fløistad summarises the philosophy, stating:
"The only thing for certain is that everything changes. The rate of change increases. If you want to hang on, you better speed up. That is the message of today. It could however be useful to remind everyone that our basic needs never change. The need to be seen and appreciated! It is the need to belong. The need for nearness and care, and for a little love! This is given only through slowness in human relations. In order to master changes, we have to recover slowness, reflection and togetherness. There we will find real renewal."[6]
Slow Art Day was founded by Phil Terry and officially launched in 2009.[7] During one day in April each year, museums and art galleries around the world host events focused on intentionally experiencing art through "slow looking". The movement aims to help people discover the joy of looking at art, typically through observing a painting or sculpture for 10–15 minutes, often followed by discussion.[8] The Slow Art Day team publishes an Annual Report[9] each year on its website, which features a range of events hosted by art institutions.
Slowageing (orslow aging) is a distinct approach tosuccessful ageing, advocating a personal andholistic positive approach to the process of ageing.[10][11] Established as part of the broader slow movement in the 1980s,[10][11] as opposed to theinterventionist-based and commercially backed medicalanti-aging system, it involves personal ownership and non-medical intervention options in gaining potential naturallife extension.[10][11]
Slow cinema is acinematography style which derives from theart film genre. It aims to convey a sense of calculated slowness to the viewer. Slow films often consist of a resistance to movement and emotion, a lack of causality and a devotion torealism.[12] This is usually obtained through the use oflong takes, minimalist acting, slow or inexistent camera movements, unconventional use of music and sparse editing. Slow cinema directors includeBéla Tarr,Lav Diaz,Nuri Bilge Ceylan,Abbas Kiarostami,Tsai Ming-liang,Andrei Tarkovsky andTheo Angelopoulos.[13][14][15]
Cittaslow International states its mission as "to enlarge the philosophy of Slow Food to local communities and to government of towns, applying the concepts of ecogastronomy at practice of everyday life".[16] It seeks to improve the quality and enjoyment of living by encouraging happiness and self-determination.[17] Cittaslow cities use the concept ofglobalization to prevent the impending globalization of their cities.Lisa Servon andSarah Pink observe that, "The case of the Spanish Cittaslow towns offers a particular example of how towns can actively exploit the interpenetration of the global and the local. In these towns, a local–global relationship has emerged in ways that enable controlled development and the maintenance of local uniqueness."[18]
Tim Cooper, author of Longer Lasting Products, is a strong advocate of "slow consumption", and is quoted as saying, "The issue to address is what kind of economy is going to be sustainable in its wider sense, economically, environmentally and socially."Saul Griffith introduced "heirloom design" during a February Greener Gadgets conference in 2009. He notes a lasting design, the ability to repair, and the option of being modernized to advocate slow consumption. Legislation, alternative options, and consumer pressure can encourage manufacturers to design items in a more heirloom fashion.[19]
According to some, recent technological advances have resulted in a fast-paced style of living.Slowcounselors understand that many clients are seeking ways to reduce stress and cultivate a more balanced approach to life. Developed by Dr. Randy Astramovich and Dr. Wendy Hoskins and rooted in the slow movement, slow counseling offers counselors a wellness focused foundation for addressing the time urgency and stress often reported by clients.[20]
According toFast Company: "An unhurried conversation uses a simple process to allow people to take turns to speak without being interrupted. Everyone agrees at the start that only the person holding a chosen object (often a sugar bowl) is allowed to talk. Once the speaker has finished, they put the object down, signalling that they have said what they want to say. Someone else then picks up the object and takes their turn. Each speaker can respond to some or all of what the previous speaker said, or they can take the conversation in an entirely new direction."[21]
Unhurried Conversations is a term used by the author ofUnhurried at Work Johnnie Moore, about how people can work together at a speed that makes the most of their human qualities.[21]
Slow democracy describes local governance models that are inclusive, empowered, and centered ondeliberative democracy.
Described by Susan Clark and Woden Teachout in their bookSlow Democracy,[22] the concept parallels theSlow Food movement’s call for authenticity in food production, and highlights decision-making models based on authentic community involvement. Clark and Teachout note:
“Slow democracy is not a call for longer meetings or more time between decisions. Instead, it is a reminder of the care needed for full-blooded, empowered community decision making.”[22]: xxiii
Examples of slow democracy include:Participatory Budgeting; the Swiss and New England (U.S.)town meeting; Dialogue to Change andStudy Circles[23] processes when connected with democratic action, such as the Portsmouth, New Hampshire “Portsmouth Listens” model;[24] and many otherparticipatory democracy models. The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation[25] serves as a network for many scholars and practitioners of slow democracy.
Slow democracy inspired the Living Room Conversations organization[26] co-founded byJoan Blades, because slowing down to consider how we characterize “the other” is crucial to democratic engagement and to peacebuilding.[27]
Harvard Law School professorLawrence Lessig writes that, like slow food, slow democracy is:
“a strategy for resisting what we know would be most tempting but what we have learned is both empty and harmful. … [T]he slow democracy movement says that we should do politics in particular contexts, not because those contexts can’t be hacked or will never be poisonous, but because it’s just harder to hack them or make them poisonous.”[28]
Scholars of dialogue and deliberation have expressed concern that increased online and face-to-face communication can lead to information overload, but incorporating slow democracy processes featuring listening and reflection can improve the experience.[29] Proponents of community-led housing cite slow democracy as integral to their place-specific development efforts.[30]
As an alternative approach to modern faster styles of reading, such asspeed reading, the concept ofslow reading has been reintroduced as an educational branch of the slow movement. For instance, the ancient Greek method of slow reading known as Lectio, now known asLectio Divina, has become a way of reading that encourages more in-depth analysis and a greater understanding of the text being read. Though the method is originally ofChristian monastic origin, and has been used primarily as a tool to better understand theBible, its technique can be applied in other areas of education besides the study oftheology.[31]
The termslow fashion was coined by Kate Fletcher in 2007 (Centre for Sustainable Fashion, UK).[32] "Slow fashion is not a seasonaltrend that comes and goes likeanimal print, but asustainable fashion movement that is gaining momentum."[33]
The slow fashion style is based on the same principles of the slow food movement, as the alternative tomass-produced clothing (also known asfast fashion). Initially, the slow clothing movement was intended to reject all mass-produced clothing, referring only to clothing made by hand,[34] but has broadened to include many interpretations and is practiced in various ways.[35] Functional and fashion novelty drives consumers to replace their items faster, causing an increase of imported goods into theUnited States alone. It was reported by theEconomic Policy Institute that in 2007, the U.S. imported six billion dollars' worth in fashion articles.
Some examples of slow fashion practices include:[citation needed]
The slow fashion ethos is related to the "sustainable", "eco", "green", and "ethical" fashion movements. It encourages education about the garment industry's connection with and impact on the environment, such asdepleting resources, slowing of thesupply chain to reduce the number of trends and seasons and to encourage quality production, and return greater value to garments, removing the image of disposability of fashion.[36][37][38] Hazel Clark states there are "three lines of reflection: the valuing of localresources anddistributed economies; transparent production systems with less intermediation between producer and consumer, and sustainable and sensorial products ..."[39]
As opposed to the culture offast food, the sub-movement known asslow food seeks to encourage the enjoyment ofregional produce andtraditional foods, which are often grownorganically, and to enjoy these foods in the company of others. It aims to defend agricultural biodiversity.
The movement claims 83,000 members in 50 countries, which are organised into 800Convivia or local chapters.[40] Sometimes operating under a logo of a snail, the collective philosophy is to preserve and support traditional ways of life. Today,[when?] 42 states in the United States have their ownconvivium.
The movement, while widely celebrated for its emphasis on local, sustainable, and traditional food practices, has faced various criticisms. One significant critique is the potential elitism inherent in its approach. Slow Food's advocacy for artisanal and small-scale production often results in higher prices for its endorsed food products, which may limit the movement's accessibility to wealthier individuals. FounderCarlo Petrini himself has noted this issue, reflecting on his visit to a California farmers market where the clientele appeared predominantly wealthy.[41]
Furthermore, Slow Food has been criticized for prioritizing hedonism over substantive political action. The movement's focus on pleasure, taste, and consumption patterns has led to accusations of it being more concerned with gastronomic enjoyment than with addressing broader political and economic injustices.[41]
Slow gaming is an approach tovideo games that is meant to be more slow-paced and more focused on challenging the assumptions and feelings of the player than on their skills and reflexes.[42]
A "Slow Games Movement Manifesto" was written byScottishgame designer Mitch Alexander in September 2018,[43] and a "Slow Gaming Manifesto" was independently published onGamasutra byPolish game designerArtur Ganszyniec in June 2019.[42][44]
Some games that can be considered examples of "slow gaming" include:Firewatch (2016),Heaven's Vault (2019),Journey (2012),Wanderlust Travel Stories (2019), andThe Longing (2020).[45]
Slow gardening is an approach that helps gardeners savor what they grow using all their senses through all the seasons.
Slow goods takes its core direction from various elements of the overall slow movement, applying it to the conception, design and manufacturing of physical objects. Its key tenets are: low production runs, the use of craftspeople within the process, on-shore manufacturing, and smaller, local supply and service partners.
The rationale for this local engagement facilitates the assurance of quality, the revitalization of local manufacturing industries, and reduces greatly thefootprint related to the shipment of goods across regions of land and/or water.
Physical goods affected by the slow movement represent much diversity, includingslow architecture and building design. The slow movement is affecting the concept and planning stages of commercial buildings, chieflyLEED certified projects.[46]
This movement seeks to break current conventions of perpetuating the disposable nature of mass production. By using higher-quality materials and craftsmanship, items attain a longer lifespan, similar to manufacturing eras in the past.
Authors Beth Meredith and Eric Storm summarizeslow living as follows:
Slow Living means structuring your life around meaning and fulfillment. Similar to "voluntary simplicity" and "downshifting", it emphasizes a less-is-more approach, focusing on the quality of your life. ... Slow Living addresses the desire to lead a more balanced life and to pursue a more holistic sense of well-being in the fullest sense of the word.
Slow marketing is a reaction to the perceived "always-on" nature ofdigital marketing.[47] It emphasizes acustomer-centric outlook, sustainability, and ethics.[48] It builds relationships with customers instead of encouraging immediate results, such as a limited time offer.[49]
Slow media andSlow television are movements aiming at sustainable and focused media production as well asmedia consumption. They formed in the context of a massive acceleration of news distribution ending in almost real-time digital media such asTwitter. Beginning in 2010, many local Slow Media initiatives formed in the USA[50] andEurope (Germany,[51]France, Italy) leading to a high attention inmass-media.[52] Others experiment with a reduction of their daily media intake and log their efforts online ("slow media diet").[citation needed]
Slow medicine fosters taking time in developing a relationship between the practitioner and the patient, and in applying medical knowledge, technology and treatment to the specific and unique character of the patient in his or her overall situation.[53]
Slow Money is anon-profit organization, founded to organize investors and donors to steer new sources of capital to small food enterprises,organic farms, and local food systems. Slow Money takes its name from the Slow Food movement. Slow Money aims to develop the relationship between capital markets and place, including social andsoil fertility. It supportsgrass-roots mobilization through network building, convening, publishing, and incubating intermediary strategies and structures of funding.[citation needed]
Slow parenting encourages parents to plan less for their children, allowing them to explore the world at their own pace. It is a response to hyper-parenting andhelicopter parenting; the widespread trend for parents to schedule activities and classes after school every day and every weekend, to solve problems on behalf of the children, and to buy commercial services and products. It was described byCarl Honoré inUnder Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture Of Hyper-Parenting.[54]
TheSlow photography movement prioritizes the process and experience of taking photos over mere documentation. It often involves film photography but can be applied using any camera.[55] The movement emerged as a response to the ubiquity of digital photography and snapshot culture, emphasizing manual techniques and a deeper engagement with the physical materials of images.
David Campany defined the concept in his 2003 essay "Safety in Numbness: Some remarks on the problems of ‘Late Photography.’"[56] He used Joel Meyerowitz's post-9/11 photography, later published inAftermath, to highlight the role of photography in public memory.[57] Norwegian photographer Johanne Seines Svendsen, known for using long exposure times and thewetplate collodion process, exemplifies this technique.[58] Her series "The Slow Photography" was showcased at the 67th North Norwegian Art Exhibition in 2013, featuring ambrotypes and alumitypes.[59]
Slow church is a movement inChristian praxis which integrates slow-movement principles into the structure and character of the local church. The phrase was introduced in 2008 byChristianbloggers working independently who imagined what such a "slow church" might look like.[60][61][62] Over the next several years, the concept continued to be discussed online and in print by various writers and ministers.[63][64][65]
In July 2012, a three-day conference titledSlow Church: Abiding Together in the Patient Work of God was held on the campus ofDePaul University inChicago on the topic of slow church and featuredChristian ethicistStanley Hauerwas and Kyle Childress, among others.[66] An online blog called "Slow Church" written by C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison is hosted byPatheos,[67][68] and Smith and Pattison have written a book by the same name, published in June 2014.[67][69]
Ethics, ecology, and economy are cited as areas of central concern to slow church.[70][71] Smith describes slow church as a "conversation", not a movement, and has citedNew Monasticism as an influence.[70] In its emphases on non-traditional ways for churches to operate and on "conversation" overdogma andhierarchy, slow church is also related to the broader Christian "emerging church" movement.[citation needed]
Slowscholarship is a response to hasty scholarship and the demands ofcorporatizedneoliberalacademic culture, which may compromise the quality and integrity of research, education, and well-being.[72][non-primary source needed] This movement attempts to counter the erosion ofhumanistic education, analyze the consequences of the culture of speed,[73] and "explores alternatives to the fast-paced, metric-oriented neoliberaluniversity through a slow-moving conversation on ways to slow down and claim time for slow scholarship and collective action."[74]
Theslow science movement's objective is to enable scientists to take the time to think and read. The prevalent culture of science ispublish or perish, where scientists are judged to be better if they publish more papers in less time, and only those who do so are able to maintain their careers. Those who practice and promote slow science suggest that "society should give scientists the time they need".[75]
Theslow technology approach aims to emphasize that technology can support reflection rather than efficiency. This approach has been discussed through various examples, for example those ininteraction design[76] orvirtual environments. It is related to other parallel efforts such as those towards reflective design,[77]critical design, andcritical technical practice.[citation needed]
Slow thought calls for a slowphilosophy to ease thinking into a more playful and porous dialogue about what it means to live.Vincenzo Di Nicola's "Slow Thought Manifesto" elucidates and illuminates Slow thought through seven proclamations, published and cited inEnglish,[78][79][80]Indonesian,[81]Italian,[82] andPortuguese,[83] and frequently cited inFrench:[84][85][86]
Notable slow thinkers includeMahatma Gandhi who affirmed that, "There is more to life than simply increasing its speed",[87]Giorgio Agamben (on the philosophy ofchildhood),[88]Walter Benjamin (on the porosity ofNaples),[89] andJohan Huizinga (onplay as an interlude in our daily lives). Di Nicola's Slow Thought Manifesto is featured in Julian Hanna'sThe Manifesto Handbook as a reaction against acceleration, "elucidating seven principles, including the practice of being 'asynchronous' or resisting the speed of modern times in favor of the 'slow logic of thought' and working toward greater focus".[90] The Slow Thought Manifesto is being cited in philosophy,[91]information science,[92] andpeacebuilding politics.[93]
"Take your time", the slogan of Slow Thought, cited by Di Nicola,[78] is taken from philosopherLudwig Wittgenstein, himself a slow thinker:
"In a wonderful philosophical lesson that is structured like a joke, Wittgenstein admonished philosophers about rushing their thinking:
Question: 'How does one philosopher address another?'
Answer: 'Take your time.'"[94]
The principal perspective of the slow movement is to experience life in a fundamentally different way. Adherents believe that the experience of being present leads to whatAbraham Maslow refers to aspeak experience.[citation needed]
The International Institute of Not Doing Much[95] is a humorous approach to the serious topic of "time poverty",incivility, andworkaholism. The Institute's fictional presence promotes counter-urgency. First created in 2005, SlowDownNow.org is a continually evolving work of art and humor which reports it has over 6,000 members.[citation needed]
Slow travel is an evolving movement that has taken its inspiration from nineteenth-century Europeantravel writers, such asThéophile Gautier, who reacted against the cult of speed, prompting some modern analysts to ask, "If we have slow food and slow cities, then why not slow travel?".[96] Other literary and exploration traditions, from earlyArab travelers to late nineteenth-centuryYiddish writers, have also identified with slow travel, usually marking its connection with community as its most distinctive feature. Espousing modes of travel that were the norm in some less developed societies became, for some writers and travelers fromwestern Europe such asIsabelle Eberhardt, a way of engaging more seriously with those societies.[97]
Slow travel is not only about traveling from one place to another, it is also about immersing oneself in a destination. It consists of staying in the same place for a while to develop a deep connection with it. Frequenting local places, spending time with locals and discovering their habits and customs can turn a regular trip into a slow travel experience. The key is to take one's time and to let oneself be carried along.[98]
Advocates of slow travel argue that all too often the potential pleasure of the journey is lost by too-eager anticipation of arrival. Slow travel, it is asserted, is a state of mind which allows travelers to engage more fully with communities along their route, often favoring visits to spots enjoyed by local residents rather than merely following guidebooks.[99] As such, slow travel shares some common values withecotourism. Its advocates and devotees generally look for low-impact travel styles, even to the extent of eschewing flying. The future of Slow Travel is aiming toward reducinggreenhouse gas emissions by reducing car and air travel because the rate we are using planes and cars is not sustainable for ouratmosphere. Advocates believe that the combination ofenvironmental awareness and cost efficient traveling will move people towards Slow Travel.[100]
Aspects of slow travel, including some of the principles detailed in the "Manifesto for Slow Travel",[101] are now increasingly featured in travel writing. The magazineHidden Europe, which first published the "Manifesto for Slow Travel", has particularly showcased slow travel, featuring articles that focus on unhurried, low-impact journeys, and advocating a stronger engagement with visited communities.[citation needed]
A new book series launched in May 2010 byBradt Travel Guides explicitly espouses slow travel ideas with volumes that focus very much on local communities within a tightly defined area, often advocating the use ofpublic transport along the way. Titles includeBus-pass Britain,Slow Norfolk and Suffolk,Slow Devon and Exmoor,Slow Cotswolds,Slow North Yorkshire, andSlow Sussex and South Downs National Park.[citation needed]
Despite its positive intentions, the slow movement faces criticism for its potentialelitism and inaccessibility. Critics argue that the movement's emphasis on artisanal and small-scale production can result in higher costs, making it difficult for individuals with lower incomes to participate. Additionally, some view the movement as overly idealistic and impractical in the context of the fast-paced realities of modern life. There are concerns that it may prioritize personal enjoyment and aesthetic values over addressing broader social and economic issues.[41]
