University of Twente Student Theses
Het lezen van de toekomst : Kwalitatief onderzoek naar het gebruik van toekomstverbeelding door jongeren
Wonnink, V. A. (2018) Het lezen van de toekomst : Kwalitatief onderzoek naar het gebruik van toekomstverbeelding door jongeren.
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| Abstract: | Background: Future imagination, or futuring, is made up of all the processes involved in imagining the future. It is the capacity to use the future as a guideline for thoughts and actions in the present. Based on the literature futuring appears to be able to fulfil many important functions, such as providing a guide for current thoughts and behavior, providing a direction in life. Young people, who already have to deal with the insecurity of the adolescence, now also have to develop themselves in the especially rapidly changing and complex twenty-first century society. This age category can therefore benefit greatly from the functions futuring seems to provide. It seems possible to stimulate the capacity of futuring by cultural and creative education. An example of this is the project ‘Over Doelen en Dromen’, (‘about dreams and goals’). This project was offered to the second year students at a Dutch high school. The main question in this research was: ‘In what way do adolescents use the future?’. This question was divided into three sub-questions: 1. ‘What is the content of the future imaginations of adolescents?’, 2. ‘What are the experiences of adolescents with future imagination?’ and 3. ‘How do the content of, and the experiences with future imagination develop by participation in a cultural and creative educational project and study about this?’. Method. In total, six students with an average age of 12-14 years participated in the study. Four participants were female, two were male. By conducting a qualitative, in-depth study the ways in which adolescents use the future were researched. The materials used for this study were interviews and letters from the future. These materials were used both before and after the project. To study this data an inductive coding scheme was developed, consisting of three code groups: ‘dreams’, ‘imagining’, and ‘experience’. In this way, the data could be ordered and compared. Results. The content of the future imaginations of the students seemed to focus mainly on professions, education and future relationships. This focus remained the same after the project. The experiences with future imagination mainly focused on an unclear future. Beforehand, the students indicated to not be actively involved with the future. Furthermore, it was reported that futuring was experienced as important and pleasant, but also as difficult. This experience remained the same after the project. The image of the future however had become clearer for some of the students. The majority afterwards also reported to be more actively involved with the future. Both beforehand and afterwards the students had a certain preferred attitude towards the future, this attitude seems to have strengthened. Conclusion. On their own, the participating adolescents made little use of the future. By providing a cultural and creative educational project however, the adolescents could develop their capacity of futuring. They all had certain stances towards the future. These seem to have been strengthened and enhanced by their participation. The adolescents however did not become more versatile in their use of the future. Futuring has been proven to, to a certain extent, be able to provide a direction in life and to therefore guide the current behavior of adolescents in a positive manner. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/75114 |
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