Created 20/11/2011 10:03:02 AM

The world of Futures Studies (FS) is built by great men and women whose ideas have had remarkable effects on the way we think about the future (Bell, 1996). Whenever I read or hear the name of "Richard Slaughter" I remember automatically the concept of "critical futures". Slaughter has had great contributions to Futures field and the concept of "critical futures" is one of them (Slaughter, 1999). A critical approach offers futures workers an opportunity to re-examine questions that have been largely overlooked. Questions about language, meaning, power, ideology and conflicting interests that are true in their nature, but not readily resolved.

Slaughter has a detail discussion on the topic in Futures for the Third Millennium (Chapter 5). Critical futures study suggests that placing FS exclusively or predominantly at the service of dominant social and technical interests may be ethically and pragmatically unhelpful in the long run if it perpetuates a one-sided world-view and a continuing slide toward dystopian futures (Kapoor, 2001).

It's reminding us that as the futurists, we have an ethical duty and also an awakening role in our societies. We are not going to take for granted all we've received through our studies; rather we should remember all we know and learn should be put in the way of serving the future of humanity. We should remind the policy makers the same duty and rise a kind of awakening among them (Hubbard, 1998).  

Slaughter (1999) reminds the awakening role that the futurists should undertake by making a clear critique with American style of futurism in this manner: "From Europe, Africa, Japan and Australia, American approaches look more powerful than they really are. The American model has given rise to many innovations, and, even now, still provides a shelter and forum for new cultural developments of international significance. But from the different viewpoints of other societies, histories and cultures, the military/strategic roots of American futurism are still visible."

However, there are serious doubts over social roles that the futurists can take in their societies. In a world that many people don't know what is FS and many futurists are struggling to gain social recognition not just in their societies, but among their strategist colleagues, how can they really play their important role in spite of all social impediments?

References:

Bell, W. (1996). Foundations of futures studies: Human science for a new era, Vol. 1: History, Purposes, and Knowledge, New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Hubbard, B. M. (1998). Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential. Novato, CA: New World Library.

Kapoor, R. (2001). Future as fantasy: forgetting the flaws, Futures, 33, pp. 161–170.

Slaughter, R. (1999). Futures for the Third Millennium: Enabling the Forward View. St Leonards: Prospect Media.