She navigates the traditions and major streams of consultants and corporate futurists. I would have “our inherent superhuman potential” (p. 112)? I was working towards UN Sustainable Development
the futures studies movement, tackling many of been interested in her opinion on the preparation struck by her characterization of the work of Elgin Goal that prioritizes quality education. Gidley is
the thorny and provocative issues within the field. that higher education programs have provided, and LeDrew in identifying a postmodern shift to a critical of the current industrial model, with its
The book is not just reportage but an introduction the trajectories of their graduates, and where global culture, a with two qualities: seeing Earth Western cultural baggage that neglects creativity,
to tools and provocations, such as a timeline the programs/schools fit in her five approaches and Cosmos as interconnected living systems imagination, and critical thinking, and other higher
of the major contributions to the database of schema. and self reflective ability to step back from the order cognitive skills necessary to face global
pace of modern life. She makes a strong case challenges. The last grand challenge is climate
for a spiritual transformation movement, and a change and Gidely provides a matrix of futures
vision of a preferred future focused on the human approaches and their matching climate change
potential for radical emotional, psychological, and approaches that is worthy of further discussion.
paradigmatic change. I do not believe she addresses the severity of
three millennia of human futures studies, a
typology of five evolving futures approaches, and
recommendations for areas of further research. The
book is organized logically, first exploring in-depth
3000 years of the antecedents of futures studies.
Strengths of her introduction include the focus on
The fourth chapter devolves a bit into an
exploration of why futures studies has been
marginalized, which she explains is due to
popularization and broad misunderstanding of
futures studies. She is obliged to respond to the
this challenge. I wish she had addressed global
albatross of the crystal ball, and to divination, The last chapter culminates in key challenges flying cars, robots, AI, and the emerging trans- facing the human evolution project, particularly humanist movement. Most striking was her the litany of environmental, energy, economic, discussion of trans-humanist discourses was her and observation that trans-humanists seem unaware She acknowledges the threats of peak oil, of cyclical historical waves of techno-utopianism environmental catastrophe, and global economic or techno-dystopianism embedded within the failure, plus governments’ inability to respond. She The second chapter makes up for the misdirection futures studies knowledge base. A recurring provides her own map of the dozen central global This book is small in size (11 x 17.5 cm, pp. 164)
of the title of the book, and explains how a theme throughout the book is the extent to futures challenges, and then matches them to a but grand in scope, encapsulating the history,
half century ago a unitary future perspective, which the mass media ignore or trivialize the parallel map posing alternatives and solutions philosophies, technologies, and ideas that have
characterized by positivism, trend extrapolation, foundations and basic assumptions of futures to some of those problems. Her point seems informed our thinking about and teaching of the
and prediction, was undermined by the emerging studies. Also troublesome are those individuals to be that despite all of the challenges/wicked future(s). It is a tour de force, squeezing the Big
pluralism in the social sciences, a “crack in the future and organization that colonize or profit from “the problems, human creativity and innovation have Picture into a small pocket book. Its publication
egg,” the shift to a multiple futures perspective, future.” the potential, if there is the will, to address and not was well timed, coming at a period in history/
simply adapt to, but to mitigate those challenges herstory when it has never been more important
and problems. She addresses the failure of to make critical decisions about our collective
the global economic system to meet human futures. Although I do have some issue with the
needs and calls for individual moral awakening cheery voice and some details, I recommend this
to respond to the needs of the common good; book highly, and have bought bulk copies to pass
she addresses critical sociocultural trends and out to friends and colleagues. Now that futures
counter trends, the lingering challenges of racism, studies techniques and strategic foresight have
patriarchy, and short-term thinking (in contrast to made inroads into corporate planning, popular
the seven generation principle). She argues there awareness, and governance, it’s more important
is a fundamental crisis of leadership bound up in than ever to understand the roots, values, and
hierarchical, militaristic legacies. paradigms
the multidimensional concepts of time, the links
between traditional and modern concepts of time,
and how the concept of time is still a contentious
and contested idea. She provides an overview of
European, Anglo-American, and international
streams of the futures studies movement.
the end of colonialism and democratization, and
the spread and popularization of futures methods.
The fifth chapter presents her analysis of the two
broad streams of futures studies: technotopian
political
dimensions
of
global
change.
The third chapter covers the evolving scholarship and human-centered futures. She calls for an of futures studies and introduces Gidley’s typology investigation into the potential outcomes of these of the five evolving futures approaches to analyze two paths. She believes that technotopian futures these streams or approaches that have emerged are a legacy of the Enlightenment view of the future within the last half century: critical futures, characterized by secularism, materialism, and cultural futures, participatory futures, and integral positivism. In contrast are the human-centered futures — all within the context of the scholarly futures emerging from spirituality, transpersonal study of alternative futures. This is where she lays psychology, philosophy, and indigenous peoples. out a strong case for a strong grounding in the She asserts that both streams share an aspiration intellectual traditions and knowledge bases of for transformation and utopia, one guided by She addresses three “grand challenges.” The
futures studies, often glossed over by pop futurism, secular humanism and scientific positivism, the urbanization challenge continues to grow but is
trend spotting, and media coverage. I would like other, the evolutionary humanism of Huxley and countered by the emergence of integral, organic,
to have seen more development of the tensions transcendent humanism of de Chardin. Gidley and sustainable approaches to urban design and
between critical theory, post-structuralism, and advocates for the human centered, spiritual and culture. There is a growing education challenge
integral futures, but that probably deserves its physical evolution of humans, arguing that human despite a broadly conceived UN global initiative
own Very Short book. It would also have been consciousness itself is evolving. She wonders if over 70 years ago that resulted (in the Millennium
interesting to hear about the tensions between it is possible that the contemporary obsession Development Goals) in a goal of universal primary
those schools oriented towards critical, normative with technological enhancement (such as the schooling. While the goal of increasing enrollment
futures and those more focused on training singularity concept, AI) prevents us from evolving rates missed its mark, the global community is now
46
HUMAN FUTURES
warming, rather than climate change. While she
does note the potential for catastrophe in other
parts of the book, there is no shrill warning or hint
of doom and gloom. Unfortunately, I think she
understates the potential for disaster, dislocation,
and human suffering.
embedded
in
academic
futures
studies.
HUMAN FUTURES
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