{"title":"Exploring cultural futures: Dimensions of projectivity as a methodological lens for narrative analysis","authors":"Ulrike Ehgartner , Daniel Welch","doi":"10.1016/j.futures.2024.103445","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper discusses the applicability of the cultural sociologist Ann Mische’s (2009) nine “dimensions of projectivity”, or modes of orientation to the future, as methodological tools for narrative analysis to identify cultural formations of future orientation. Future orientation is understood here on the level of cultural regularities, rather than individual cognition. The paper discusses the exploratory process of operationalising Mische’s dimensions on texts produced by the volunteer panel of the Mass Observation Project (MOP) on the topic of ‘Futures of Consumption’. We explore how the difficulties encountered were addressed to utilise the dimensions for analysis. This exploratory process led to the classification of these dimensions into three categories, which specify their methodological utility. Firstly, literary components, suitable to analyse projectivity in professionally produced future narrations, such as corporate or NGO reports. Secondly, cognitive competences, suitable to study texts for the capacity for future thinking they demonstrate. And thirdly, formative orientations: the implicit, cultural repertoires from which actors construct their orientations to the future. The latter proved operationalizable in the analysis of the MOP data to identify cultural formations of future orientation. The paper provides a nuanced understanding of the application and utility of methodological tools for the study of future orientation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48239,"journal":{"name":"Futures","volume":"164 ","pages":"Article 103445"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328724001265/pdfft?md5=c70f2106db6f5a5a3d47dc6744eeb271&pid=1-s2.0-S0016328724001265-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Futures","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328724001265","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This paper discusses the applicability of the cultural sociologist Ann Mische’s (2009) nine “dimensions of projectivity”, or modes of orientation to the future, as methodological tools for narrative analysis to identify cultural formations of future orientation. Future orientation is understood here on the level of cultural regularities, rather than individual cognition. The paper discusses the exploratory process of operationalising Mische’s dimensions on texts produced by the volunteer panel of the Mass Observation Project (MOP) on the topic of ‘Futures of Consumption’. We explore how the difficulties encountered were addressed to utilise the dimensions for analysis. This exploratory process led to the classification of these dimensions into three categories, which specify their methodological utility. Firstly, literary components, suitable to analyse projectivity in professionally produced future narrations, such as corporate or NGO reports. Secondly, cognitive competences, suitable to study texts for the capacity for future thinking they demonstrate. And thirdly, formative orientations: the implicit, cultural repertoires from which actors construct their orientations to the future. The latter proved operationalizable in the analysis of the MOP data to identify cultural formations of future orientation. The paper provides a nuanced understanding of the application and utility of methodological tools for the study of future orientation.
期刊介绍:
Futures is an international, refereed, multidisciplinary journal concerned with medium and long-term futures of cultures and societies, science and technology, economics and politics, environment and the planet and individuals and humanity. Covering methods and practices of futures studies, the journal seeks to examine possible and alternative futures of all human endeavours. Futures seeks to promote divergent and pluralistic visions, ideas and opinions about the future. The editors do not necessarily agree with the views expressed in the pages of Futures