Six shamanic concepts: charting the between in futures work

摘要

Purpose - This paper offers six shamanic futures concepts to augment Inayatullah's six pillars,rnquestions and concepts of futures studies.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Drawing on Ashis Nandy's use of the shaman as a futures categoryrnthat posits alterity and the unknowable as the dissenting component of futures studies, six conceptsrn(geophilosophy, rhizome, intercivilisational dialogue, heterotopia, immanence and hybridity) fromrnpoststructural thinking are proposed to offer an account of the agency-structure interface (context) thatrnis of practical value to futures practice.rnFindings - Futures praxis is pragmatic and goal driven, seeking preferred futures outcomes for those inrncontext. The six shamanic futures concepts further this end by outlining conceptual processes thatrndeepen understanding of context as a co-creative and living space.rnResearch limitations/implications - Futures studies is becoming increasingly sophisticated; the sixrnshamanic concepts push practitioner's understanding of how to facilitate deep organizational change.rnPractical implications - This paper provides six concepts that enable futures practitioners to betterrnunderstand the nature of their own practice.rnOriginality/value - This paper extends Inayatullah's mapping of the futures field by suggesting sixrnconcepts that facilitate an understanding and harnessing of the potential of context.