Uncertainty and Possibility: New Approaches to Future Making in Design Anthropology

Abstract

In Uncertainty and Possibility: New Approaches to Future Making in Design Anthropology authors Akama, Pink and Sumartojo provide a fascinating account of the theory and practice of uncertainty, which they investigate via a series of innovative and interdisciplinary Design+Ethnography+Futures workshops. Intentionally skewing the standard workshop format by setting ambiguous tasks, selecting unusual locations and steering away from academic conventions, the researchers disrupt the participants' personal and professional boundaries and explore their reaction to uncertainty. The creative methodologies deployed by the researchers, their exploratory approach and the novel ways they pursue knowledge production and applied research are particularly stimulating, paving the way for meaningful 'real-world' anthropological research interventions in social and political contexts.