Literacy for the future! : Lessons from foresight case studies

Abstract

Doing foresight is not common sense; neglecting foresight is a loss of a part of reality. Being future literate, using futures consciously for specific purposes is an emerging necessity for people, mainly in business practice and education. This paper shows that the skill to use futures is available and can be developed. Ten case studies on different adaptations of strategic foresight are compared in terms of their topics, use of the future and the methods and techniques to be adapted. The case studies – most of them PhD student research – are apprentice exercises to develop, learn, and experience using futures. The results show that the use of closed and semi-closed Anticipation for the Future (preparing and planning) are still dominant, while the methods and tools get new understandings and very creative combinations to use.