Between temporalities, imaginaries and imagination: A framework for analysing futures

This article introduces a relational approach to studying imaginaries of the future, emphasising their significance in comprehending present realities and the ongoing processes that interweave our social fabric. It posits ‘imaginaries of the future’ as a pivotal sociological concept for understandin...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cantó-Milà, Natàlia, Seebach, Swen
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Repositorio:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
OAI Identifier:oai:openaccess.uoc.edu:10609/150405
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10609/150405
https://doi.org/10.1177/13684310241229208
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:figures
forms
images
imagination
imaginaries of the future
materialities
protentions
social imaginaries
social scripts
temporal landscapes
trajectories
Descripción
Sumario:This article introduces a relational approach to studying imaginaries of the future, emphasising their significance in comprehending present realities and the ongoing processes that interweave our social fabric. It posits ‘imaginaries of the future’ as a pivotal sociological concept for understanding the reciprocal social influences and uneven structural dynamics shaping the present. This work engages in a theoretical discourse, spotlighting the role of the future in contemporary social landscapes, while endorsing the suitability of the concept of imaginaries to elucidate how we collectively interlace our present through implicit dialogues with latent, emergent futures and glimpses of radical imagination. In this article, we advocate for sociological research on ‘imaginaries’, discussing the concept’s relevance to sociological theory and research. In addition, we make a case for examining futures as a subject of sociological research. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework for analysing imaginaries of the future from a relational sociological perspective, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue.