Gendered Futures?

• Since the future is not a disconnected end-state, but rooted in both the past and the present [2, p. 225], images of the future will inevitable bear traces of yesterday as well as today’s zeitgeist. There is thus a risk of institutions, such as gender perceptions, being selfreinforcing. This paper looks closer at three Swedish regional growth programs to see whether those future oriented documents are gendered, in what ways and also if there are ways of working with futures studies [3] that could enhance the possibility for a gender perspective on the future. Futures studies have a history of facilitating discussions about what future is wanted, but most often without a gender perspective. This is a lack since many societal changes will have gendered consequences. It is in the present we can change the future, and even though the future will offer something we cannot think of [4], planners is one group among other influencing what direction society develops in. Even if many feminists agree upon ideas and ways of analysing today’s norms, Gemzöe [5, p. 24] writes that there are disagreements on what means are useful to reach the goal and also about how extensive changes are possible in a society. Also, it is difficult to agree upon a goal. Even though the present paper does not define a feminist utopia, it discusses the possibility of integrating a gender perspective on the future and could therefore give fuel to both futures studies and feminist research.

Nyckelord

Regional development

gender

growth

futures studies

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)