Podcasts

Futures anthropology, foresight and the polycrisis

It is increasingly proclaimed that the world is in a polycrisis, a term and set of assumptions which have become a moniker for our times; a moment where multiple crises converge, requiring urgent attention and a future-focused solution.

For influential organisations the polycrisis concept makes problems of uncertainty accessible to foresight-informed solutions. Yet foresight frames frequently foreclose the kinds of futures knowledge delivered and sustain a consultancy-led futures industry.

Join Sarah Pink, Laureate Professor and Director of the Emerging Technologies Lab and FUTURES Hub at Monash University and Susan Halford, Co-director of the ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures as they discuss the polycrisis, foresight and the role of futures research in addressing challenges facing society.

Listen time 28:13.

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How digitality is changing our spaces

Space is a key feature of social life. But does the digitalisation of society affect its spatial dimensions, and if so, how?

In this podcast, Leverhulme Visiting Professor Theodore Schatzki joins Dale Southerton to discuss his work exploring digitality, different types of space and notions of virtual realities, such as cyber space.

Listen time 30:45.

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Community tech and sociodigital futures

What is community tech, and why do communities care about it? We discuss examples of community tech we’ve seen through our research to explore how communities are creating their own sociodigital futures and discover what can be learnt from community alternatives to big tech solutions.

With Anna Dent, Matt Dowse, Helen Manchester and Martin Parker.

Listen time 29:50.