Prof. Barbara Adam, Cardiff Univ.: "Methodological Challenges"

Methodological Challenges
for Futures Studies
Knowledge Practices for Indeterminacy & Contingency
Barbara Adam
Cardiff University
Background: Sociologist, Social Theorist, Time Theorist

Key Insights
FOCUS
STANDPOINT
Traditional Futures Studies
• Possible futures (imagined) - present (mind)
• Preferable futures (desired) - present (mind)
• Probable futures (calculated) - past (matter)
Essential Extension
• Produced futures (created)
- future (matter)

Key Challenges for Social Sciences
• Fact: beyond facta – futura dualism
– past & present vs future, real vs. unreal/ideal, matter vs. mind/imaginary
– Evidence-based science vs mind-based tools
– natura naturata & natura naturans, Merkwelt & Wirkwelt, effect & affecting
– from epistemology to include ontology
• The not yet: imaginary & domain of action and process
• Matter: latent/immanent process materiality
– Time extended – encompassing past-present-future
• The empty future: crowded territory
• Causality (past-based) : past-and-future based, determining
• Knowledge: beyond evidence-based science = values
• Ethics: implication, timeprint responsibility
• Impacts epistemology, ontology, methodology, ethics

Openings for Change
Futures in a new key
Action, knowledge, ethics
• Present future and future present incl. past futures
• Future as process/effecting materiality thus real
• Action implication – constitutive knowledge practices
• Shaping futures = material-political-ethical act
• Ethics in contingency, indeterminacy, non-knowledge
From: action knowledge ethics
To: action ethics direct relation