Thinking about the future has become essential. States, corporations, universities, cities, NGOs and individuals believe they cannot miss the future. But what exactly is the future? It remains a mystery Ð perhaps the greatest mystery of all Ð since futures are unpredictable, uncertain and often unknowable, the outcome of many known and unknown unknowns. The future can rarely be simply extrapolated from the present.
In this important new book, John Urry seeks to capture many efforts that have been made to anticipate, visualise, elaborate and perform the future. This includes examining methods that have been used to model the future, from those of the RAND corporation to imagined future worlds within philosophy, literature, film, TV, and computer games. He shows that futures are often contested and saturated with different interests, especially in relation to future unborn generations. He shows how analyses of social institutions, practices and lives should be central to examining potential futures and issues as to who owns the future.
The future seems to be characterised by ‘wicked problems’. There are multiple ‘causes’ and ‘solutions’, long-term lock-ins and complex interdependencies, and social groups having radically different frames for understanding what is at stake. Urry explores these issues through case-studies of 3D printing and the future of manufacturing, contested mobilities in the city, and the futures of energy and climate change.
About the Author
John Urry (1946-2016) was Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Lancaster University.
Industry Reviews
It is time for progressive forces to reclaim the future. Through the crucial lens of social science, this means understanding both the past and how to better work together to craft the futures we want. This brilliant book cuts through a tangle of complexity to show us how. -- Stewart Wallis, New Economics Foundation
John Urry, one of the leading sociologists of the past half-century, made a major contribution to the analysis of climate change and related issues, and this new book combines a comprehensive overview of the futures literature with a more detailed focus on some central themes. This learned yet very accessible book is in the best traditions of critical future studies. Anyone interested in the big questions facing our societies should read it. -- William Outhwaite, Newcastle University