Shaping the future: A conceptual review of sociotechnical imaginaries

Abstract

The literature around sociotechnical imaginaries has proliferated since the seminal publications of Jasanoff and Kim (2009, 2015). In this conceptual review, we examine the evolution of the concept and engagement with it across disciplines. To investigate this, we develop and analyse a corpus of 306 papers that deal with, build on or develop the concept. We provide a description of the citation trends, the journals in which papers are published, and the empirical topics that are covered in the literature. Building on Jasanoff’s foundational insights about political differences, time, space, and collective identity, our evaluation examines how scholars have both elaborated and extended these dimensions. Our analysis focuses on four key areas of conceptual development: (1) how the future has been engaged with, (2) how the concept is used to trace changes over time, (3) the forms of comparison employed in research, and (4) the ways in which the spatio-material emphasis is manifested. Our analysis highlights how the concept has evolved through diverse encounters with other fields, and underscores how the concept can be useful for further research. We suggest focusing on the relations between imaginaries and adjacent concepts, the endurance of imaginaries, and the mediums through which imaginaries are channelled for further conceptual development with and through the concept.