Ten insolvable dilemmas of participation and why foresight has to deal with them

Abstract

Purpose

Arguably the most distinguishing characteristic of the current rise of foresight for dealing with the long term is the explicit mention and involvement of actors and actor networks, i.e. participation. In general, this participation dimension is considered a valuable contribution to better anticipation and anticipatory behavior. However, participation should not be seen as the solution for the conceptual and practical difficulties of anticipation. This paper seeks to argue that, although participation is a necessary requirement for foresight, it contributes a number of new problems, which one prefers to see as dilemmas (since there is no solution to these “problems”). Understanding these “ten insolvable dilemmas of participation” is the main objective of this contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

This article employs theories and practice dealing with participatory approaches.

Findings

Although an important dimension of foresight, participation is often trivialized. However, using participation means also having to address new challenges for which no default design answer is possible.

Practical implications

Futures practitioners will be aware of the consequences of incorporating a participatory dimension into a foresight exercise.

Originality/value

Although participation has become a key feature of many contemporary foresight activities, generic design questions are either ignored or dealt with on a case‐to‐case basis. This paper is an attempt to employ the body of theories on participation and participatory approaches in order to frame the participatory dimension in foresight.

Citation

van der Helm, R. (2007), "Ten insolvable dilemmas of participation and why foresight has to deal with them", Foresight, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680710754138