Heavy Modernity

Definition

The term Heavy Modernity is used to describe a form of modernity tied to physical objects and expensive development. Whereas heavy 
modernity 
is 
rooted 
to 
place, mass
 and
 size, light modernity 
is 
rooted
 to
 'lightness'
 and
 the
 transcendence
 of
time 
and
 space, 
or 
the 
physical 
self.


Bauman's
 analysis 
of 
heavy 
and 
light 
modernity 
can 
be 
used 
to
 explain 
the 
allure 
of 
the 
cell
phone. Cell
 phone
 users
 are
 able
to
 transcend
 the 
physical 
boundaries
 of 
heavy
 modernity
 because
 they've 
left
 part
 of 
their
 bodies
 behind
 and 
transferred 
to
'light
 modernity'
 while
 in
 'heavy 
modernity'.
 
The
 light
 modern 
state 
of
 the
 cell 
phone
 helps
them
 to
 transcend 
the 
heaviness
 that 
their
 body
 had 
taken
 on
 when 
introduced
 to 
the
 'heavily
modern'
 state.

 
 
 Modern 
information,
or
 ‘light
 information’
 is
 only
 accessible 
by
 hybrids,
or
 those 
who
 are
 capable 
of 
liminally 
transforming
 into
 technosocial 
hybrids 
or
 ‘light
industrial’
 objects.

"Fordism was self-consious of modern society in it's 'eavy', 'bulky', or 'immobile' and 'rooted', 'solid' phase. At that stage in their joint history, capital, management and labour were all, for better or worse, doomed to stay in one another's comapny for a long time to come, perhaps for ever - tied down by the combination of huge factory buildings, heavy machinery and massive labour forces.

Example

Amazon.com has a negative operating cycle:

Amazon turn it's inventory every 20 days

Best buy turns every 74 days. Amazons orbit is shorter. It's closer to the sun.

Day 0, Order product

• Product paid for day 44
• Customer buys 74
• Cash debt for 45 days.
• Short term credit is needed during this time

How does amazon do it?

• Order product day zero
• Product paid for on day 44
• Customer buys day 20
• Customer pays 22

Cash float for 22 days

• People understand how cash float works and design for that.
• The interest they can generate on that alone is a profit. So they can sell products cheaper than mac.
• Cheaper than what they buy them for.