From futures awareness to shaping the food system: Relational foundations of young people's future-oriented agency

Abstract

The role and agency of citizens in future making are arousing increasing interest in futures studies. While research on future-oriented agency provides insights into how future-oriented, prospective attitude can be stimulated, researchers are still struggling to understand why such attitude does not lead to action. An aspect that deserves more attention in this research is how the relations between people shape attitudes and actions. Young people are an insightful group to investigate in this respect, as their agency and relations in the world are just forming. We draw on sociological theories to suggest that future-oriented agency comprises both future orientation (the motivational element of agency) and relational power (the social element of agency) that together shape future-oriented action. We then examine the role of social relations and positions in the development of agency and refine the conceptualisation of agency using essay data in which students, aged between 14 and 19 years, reflect on their agency in food system transition. The findings reveal five agency types, providing some evidence on how the students’ families, hobbies, and other relations shaped these types. We elaborate on the findings to suggest how to better support young people’s future-oriented agency through education. This way, the paper contributes to understanding the formation of future-oriented agency and the role of education in that process.