Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Opinion: Is America “the land of the future”?1

Opinion: Is America “the land of the future”?1 Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the view that America is “the land of the future”. It argues that, owing to its sponsorship of a model of development that is exploitive and unsustainable, this is no longer the case and that US futurists, in particular, need to consciously re‐evaluate their roles and work. Design/methodology/approach – The paper advances a cultural critique of US hegemony. It considers background myths and their role in creating “American exceptionalism” in various fields, including futures studies. It also critiques free market ideology, the role of corporations, market failures and the economics of exploitation. This leads to issues of truth and power and the view that a continuation of an ideology of “free enterprise” leads to the collapse of the global system. Findings – The paper suggests a number of strategies for futurists to consider as ways of opening out their vision beyond current limitations. Practical implications – A rationale is outlined that can support shifts in more progressive directions and moves toward more fruitful work. Originality/value – The American futures enterprise is currently at risk from its uncritical association with dysfunctions in US society, culture and economy. The paper draws attention to some of these and indicates possible ways forward. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png foresight Emerald Publishing

Opinion: Is America “the land of the future”?1

Richard A. Slaughter
foresight , Volume 10 (4): 24 – Jul 18, 2008
Download PDF
24 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/opinion-is-america-the-land-of-the-future-1-bO1Z6K1CUP

References (68)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1463-6689
DOI
10.1108/14636680810908000
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the view that America is “the land of the future”. It argues that, owing to its sponsorship of a model of development that is exploitive and unsustainable, this is no longer the case and that US futurists, in particular, need to consciously re‐evaluate their roles and work. Design/methodology/approach – The paper advances a cultural critique of US hegemony. It considers background myths and their role in creating “American exceptionalism” in various fields, including futures studies. It also critiques free market ideology, the role of corporations, market failures and the economics of exploitation. This leads to issues of truth and power and the view that a continuation of an ideology of “free enterprise” leads to the collapse of the global system. Findings – The paper suggests a number of strategies for futurists to consider as ways of opening out their vision beyond current limitations. Practical implications – A rationale is outlined that can support shifts in more progressive directions and moves toward more fruitful work. Originality/value – The American futures enterprise is currently at risk from its uncritical association with dysfunctions in US society, culture and economy. The paper draws attention to some of these and indicates possible ways forward.

Journal

foresight – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jul 18, 2008

Keywords: Culture; United States of America; Market economy

There are no references for this article.